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Swimming Disqualifications Down at Paris Olympics After a Rough Few Years

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games were a relatively-clean Olympics, with only 9 disqualifications during the meet – a drop from both the 2021 and 2016 Olympics.

The number was still higher than the only 5 DQs that were called at the 2012 Olympic Games, which in turn was the lowest number since 1964.

SwimSwam statistician Daniel Takata Gomes compiled data on the number of DQs at each Olympic Games back to 1960. In Paris, there were 6 individual DQs, and 3 relay DQs:

Individual DQs

  • Luke Greenbank, Great Britain, men’s 200 back prelims (15 meter violation)
  • Miguel de Lara, Mexico, men’s 100 breast prelims (dolphin kick into the finish)
  • Han An-chi, Chinese Taipei, women’s 200 IM prelims (alternating kick in butterfly)
  • Alex Walsh, United States, women’s 200 IM final (rotating past vertical, back-to-breast turn)
  • Viola Scott Di Carlo, Italy, women’s 100 fly prelims (alternating kick)
  • Nikolett Padar, Hungary, women’s 200 free prelims (false start)

Relay DQs

  • Denmark, women’s 400 medley relay prelims (4th swimmer left early)
  • Italy, women’s 400 medley relay prelims (reason unconfirmed)
  • Spain, men’s 400 medley relay prelims (4th swimmer left early)

Of these disqualifications, several were significant. Greenbank, Di Carlo, and Padar were all likely to advance to the next round of competition, while Walsh finished 3rd in the final of the 200 IM before officials confirmed the disqualification. Most of these disqualifications were not very controversial either, easily spotted with video evidence.

This was a deviation from a relatively-high number of disqualifications that we’ve seen globally over the last few years, with 42 at the 2022 World Championships and 24 at the 2023 World Championships. 2022 Worlds was home to the infamous Ryan Held disqualification, then requalification, for gold in the men’s 50 backstroke that eventually led to a rules change.

The 2022 World Championships were also where 8 disqualifications happened in heats of the men’s 50 breaststroke.

Olympic DQs in Swimming, since 1960

Year Individual Relay Total
1960 6 1 7
1964 1 3 4
1968 4 3 7
1972 8 0 8
1976 8 2 10
1980 5 4 9
1984 12 10 22
1988 14 8 22
1992 19 1 20
1996 6 4 10
2000 13 6 19
2004 9 5 14
2008 4 4 8
2012 3 2 5
2016 3 7 10
2021 9 6 15
2024 6 3 9

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Adrian
3 months ago

I know that it is the bare minimum and long overdue, but Paris organizers and broadcasters need to be applaud for showing real-time underwater and overhead camera footage, explaining to thr viewers why swimmers were DQ, first time in international meets.

JackMeowMeow
3 months ago

Italian broadcasting says that Italy’s DQS in the Women’s Medley relay is due to the alternating kick in butterfly’s leg, as Scotto Di Carlo swam that fraction and apparently she did the same error twice

Boknows34
Reply to  JackMeowMeow
3 months ago

Yep, they zoomed in again on the butterfly leg of Italy’s relay after the race. A clear infraction.

swimswamrocks
3 months ago

Whoever was in lane 1?8 top the broadcast of the men’s medley was straight up dolphin kicking on breaststroke

Atohitotsu
3 months ago

The two fly kick DQs were pretty obvious and repeated, and for no benefit. I don’t get how the two swimmers and their coaches let that happen when they had miles of fly in training to sort that out. The other DQs are momentary mistakes and are understandable.

Just Keep Swimming
3 months ago

I saw a bunch of people online claiming there was video of KD doing an illegal turn too but haven’t been able to find anything but a super grainy photo.

Kristi Moore
3 months ago

France should’ve been DQ’d on the 4×100 mixed medley relay for Leon’s 15m violation in the breaststroke leg.

The unoriginal Tim
Reply to  Kristi Moore
3 months ago

15m doesn’t apply to breastroke

mvnjuan
Reply to  Kristi Moore
3 months ago

just hows how u know nothing about swimming

JimSwim22
3 months ago

In comparison to World Champs we should adjust for number of swims. I would guess that Worlds has at least twice as many total swims if not higher. These Olympics were tiny.

US Swimmer 1
Reply to  JimSwim22
3 months ago

This is exactly why. I am curious how the officials are in other countries overall. Is there an “official culture”?
For example in the US the officials at the national level are out of control. They are arrogant and live in a bubble. They are rude to coaches, us staff members, athletes. The culture here definitely needs to change. Change in policy and voting as well. It’s unhealthy for the org. The entire selection process to be at trials here is corrupt. They act like children and a weird high school group. Basically a group of adults who never grew up. They have way too much power here and always attempting to gather more. Many never really elite athletes.… Read more »

Last edited 3 months ago by US Swimmer 1
Juan Cena
3 months ago

The breaststrokers’ pullouts were probably out of frame since they were so close to the bottom of the pool.

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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