2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
WOMEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – SEMIFINALS
- World Record: Katinka Hosszu, Hungary – 2:06.12 (2015)
- World Junior Record: Summer McIntosh, Canada – 2:06.89 (2023)
- Championship Record: Katinka Hosszu, Hungary – 2:06.12 (2015)
- 2022 World Champion: Alex Walsh, USA – 2:07.13
In the first semi-final of the women’s 200 IM at the 2023 World Championships, 2022 Worlds silver medalist Kaylee McKeown of Australia was disqualified for her back-to-breast turn. In addition, Great Britain’s Katie Shannahan and Italy’s Sara Franceshchi were DQed in the same heat. Shannahan had been DQed for a false start.
As you can see from the video footage below via Peacock, McKeown rotated fully onto her side too early during her backstroke. According to the World Aquatics rulebook, a swimmer must touch the wall while on their back in a race.
Headed into Worlds, McKeown had an entry time of 2:07.19, which made her the third seed. That time was over a second faster than the 2:08.57 she swam to take silver at Worlds last year. Her time was also just 0.1 off of Kate Douglass‘ top seed time, meaning that she had a shot at winning gold.
Without McKeown in the final, Douglass and her American teammate Alex Walsh should be the favorites to win, while the bronze medal position looks to be wide open.
McKeown will have to race the 100 back tomorrow, where she holds the world record. With her DQ, she now no longer has to deal with a 100 back semi-final and 200 IM final in the same session.
Multiple high-profile DQs have already been issued at this year’s Worlds, as Great Britain’s men’s 4×100 free relay had been DQed in prelims. They had been a heavy favorite to take gold.
All 3 needed a DQ. This isn’t a new phenomenon though.May as well allow a full roll over and be done with it.
As with so many rules that have “evolved” over the years…..this turn is pushing the boundaries of the rules. When done correctly, at best it is on the border of the rules. In my opinion, Most swimmers doing this turn are illegal but get away with it due to benefit of doubt going to them.
The backstroke turn rules changed from having to touch on your back, then to a similar turn to what is occurring now in back to breast, to eventually requiring no hand touch at all.
Breaststroke had head being above the water, no dolphin kick on pull out….
Even in the 1981 USA Swimming rulebook (before that is AAU which is not on the current USA Swimming website) the head in breaststroke only needed to break the surface of the water during each pull (“[a] part of the head shall always be above the general water level (the surface in a calm state), except [for pullouts]”). See https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/governance/governance-lsc-website/rules_policies/rulebooks/1981-rulebook.pdf page 16. That being said, this turn definitely has a speed-risk tradeoff when technique is marginal.
Pretty easy call. About as easy as the brits relay.
When I teach my swimmers the crossover turn, I teach them to keep the overhead arm behind their ear. It’s a whole heck of a lot harder to rotate past 90° towards your stomach if you keep the arm behind your ear, whether you’re jamming the turn or going long.
At this rate, she should commit to NC State
I WONNN Left her out of pickems bc i thought shed drop it
Why do experienced swimmers make stupid mistakes like these?
Probably because they are human and a bit nervous.
Anybody can make a mistake. They’re human.
Looks like it is just a small mistake of rotating too much due to misjudging the touch but it is a DQ.