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Emma Weyant Disqualified From 400 IM Prelims Due To Fly Kick During Breaststroke Leg

2023 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

DAY 3 PRELIMS HEAT SHEETS

Women’s 400 IM — Heats

  • World Record: 4:25.87, Summer McIntosh (CAN) — 2023
  • American Record: 4:31.12, Katie Hoff (USA) — 2008
  • U.S. Open Record: 4:28.61, Summer McIntosh (USA) — 2022
  • Championship Record: 4:31.12, Katie Hoff (USA) — 2008
  • World Junior Record: 4:25.87, Summer McIntosh (CAN) — 2023
  • World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 4:43.06
  • 2022 U.S. Trials Top 2 Time: 4:37.72
  • 2022 Worlds Medal Time: 4:36.00

Top 8:

  1. Alex Walsh — 4:37.84
  2. Katie Grimes — 4:39.71
  3. Leah Hayes — 4:40.91
  4. Lilia Bognar — 4:43.28
  5. Justina Kozan — 4:43.80
  6. Lucy Bell — 4:45.75
  7. Zoe Dixon — 4;45.82
  8. Kayla Han — 4:45.95

In heat six of the women’s 400 IM at the 2023 U.S. National Championships, Emma Weyant was disqualified for doing butterfly kick during the breaststroke leg of her race. She had swam a time of 4:38.08, which would have placed her second overall in prelims and put her in the ‘A’ final. With her disqualification, it is now highly unlikely that she will make the 2023 World Championships team, with her only event remaining being the 400 free (where she is seeded 12th with a time of 4:10.12).

Weyant was the 2021 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist and 2022 World Championships bronze medalist in the women’s 400 IM. Her best time of 4:32.76 from Tokyo was the second-fastest in the entire field.

According to the USA Swimming rulebook, only one butterfly kick is permitted after each start or turn in breaststroke. After that one fly kick is performed, all movement of a swimmer’s legs must be simultaneous without alternating movement.

Below is the video footage of Weyant’s breaststroke leg, courtesy of the USA Swimming livestream. From the angle that the race was being filmed and the video quality, it is difficult to see how Weyant was kicking in her race.

This isn’t the first time in recent history that the women’s 400 IM at a U.S. qualification meet has had a notable DQ. In 2017, Ella Eastin was stripped away of a World Championships spot when she was DQed in the 400 IM final due to the “Lochte Rule” after finishing second overall.

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Jonah
1 year ago

Lol. She followed the NCAA’s rules. She didn’t “cheat”. Your anger is misdirected.

diii
1 year ago

trans people live rent free in your head lmao give up the grift dumbass

Ironman6
Reply to  diii
1 year ago

A grift that a man swam at women’s NCAAs? Smh

Mik
1 year ago

Usa swimming isn’t showing ANY underwater race footage of breaststroke or breaststroke legs tonight…

They know they messed up

Troyy
Reply to  Mik
1 year ago

They showed underwater footage the women’s 50 breast A final including obvious dolphin kicks that weren’t called this time.

Frances Teague
Reply to  Mik
1 year ago

Hilarious that SwimSwam won’t post the video of L King butterfly kicking her way to the 50 breaststroke championship. Was obvious on the telecast.

Aaryn
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

I looked for it but Twitter now requires a login just to see your public tweets. I’m not signing up on that site. Do you post on other social media?

AndyEggsfromGA
1 year ago

Based on what we are hearing on the pool deck, Bret Hawk will be doing a full Pod on this topic of Bad DQ’s

Jameson
1 year ago

Were all the DQs called by the same official? Sometimes they get too hyper-focused on one aspect of a race. Was it an intentional dolphin kick or just natural undulation?

Steve Nolan
1 year ago

Ron Desantis is demanding to know more info on who made this call.

Emo boi
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

is this a joke or not because i genuinley cannot tell😭

Sub13
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

He heard that the DQs were being made by Disney employees and drag queens and now he’s mad

Old Guy in Speedos
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

Leave it Floriduh Man to think “DQ” is “Drag Queen”! LOL!

Dave B
1 year ago

20 officials on deck and a huge delay between each 400IM today – either trust the officials on deck to catch the DQ or clear the deck and have it done by video review. Imagine if they stopped an NFL game after every play to see if someone held? The game would never finish

RCP
Reply to  Dave B
1 year ago

NFL games are already longer than swim meets (with about 1% of the action). Whatever we do, let’s not pursue that model.

Dave C
Reply to  Dave B
1 year ago

Have you ever watched a pro sports league? Every one of them has extended reviews multiple times throughout the event. Either way we want it right and by the rules or say you don’t care when people break the rules to go fast.

Aaryn
Reply to  Dave C
1 year ago

Unlike most televised sports, you don’t have to stop a meet to do video review. The meet can go on and finals/results made official later. I mean, that’s how every single meet I’ve ever been at is run.

Coach Macgyver
1 year ago

Allow multiple dolphin kicks off during the pull down already. Eddie Reese brought this up at an ASCA clinic.

MastersSwimmer
Reply to  Coach Macgyver
1 year ago

oh please save one stroke from the ubiquitous underwaters

Coach Macgyver
Reply to  MastersSwimmer
1 year ago

Kitajima won in 2004 with an extra dolphin kick in 2004. 8 years later Cameron VDB is winning sneaking in an extra kick. Go to any age group meet and you can see 18 and unders still doing it. 🤷‍♂️

Last edited 1 year ago by Coach Macgyver
Old Guy in Speedos
Reply to  Coach Macgyver
1 year ago

Oh just get rid of the Breaststroke and introduce the Ridiculous Stroke…

Aaryn
Reply to  Old Guy in Speedos
1 year ago

Sign me up for the 200m Corkscrew

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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