Luke Greenbank of Great Britain was disqualified after surpassing the underwater limit at the start of his race, while Chinese swimmer Xu Jiayu was absent from his semifinal.
High drama marked the men's 200-meter backstroke event at the Paris La Defense Arena on Wednesday as Luke Greenbank of Great Britain was disqualified over a technical violation, and Chinese swimmer Xu Jiayu failed to appear for his semifinal.
Greenbank, one of the favorites for a medal, touched the wall after completing his 200-meter swim and initially appeared set to qualify for the semifinals after finishing ahead of Germany's Lukas Maertens in the fourth heat. However, a video replay led to his disqualification after it was determined that he had been underwater beyond the 15-meter mark at the start of the race, violating the rules.
Disqualification and Absence Stir Drama in Men's 200-Meter Backstroke at Paris Olympics
The disqualification came as a crushing blow to Greenbank, who was visibly disappointed at being denied the opportunity to continue in the event. Legendary Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, while analyzing the race for the Nine Network, explained the infringement.
"That is past that mark. There is no need for that in a 200-meter," Thorpe said while reviewing the replay of Greenbank's swim. "Perhaps in a 50-meter race you might take the chance, but in a 200-meter, there is no benefit."
Disqualification and Absence Stir Drama in Men's 200-Meter Backstroke at Paris Olympics
Greenbank later spoke to reporters, expressing his immense disappointment at the disqualification. "I don't know what to say, absolutely gutted," he said. "It's really annoying, I feel like I'm in good form."
While Greenbank's disqualification created a stir, the absence of Chinese swimmer Xu Jiayu in his 200-meter semifinal swim also raised questions. Jiayu, who had ranked highly after swimming 1:55.37 in the entry time, was not present for his scheduled swim.
Disqualification and Absence Stir Drama in Men's 200-Meter Backstroke at Paris Olympics
Jiayu's absence was particularly notable given his strong performance earlier in the Olympics, where he had won silver in the 100-meter backstroke final. No official reason has been given for his absence in the 200-meter event.
Despite the drama surrounding the men's 200-meter backstroke, other medal events are set to captivate audiences at the Paris La Defense Arena on Wednesday night. The women's 100-meter freestyle final, men's 200-meter butterfly final, women's 1500-meter freestyle final, men's 200-meter breaststroke final, and men's 100-meter freestyle final will all feature the world's top swimmers vying for Olympic glory.
