Winning is one thing, but losing due to some antiquated out dated rule is another.
Fair is fair, but how many aspiring athlete’s try to “break the rules” and make them adapted to their style of play or sport they actually play.
Emily Overholt has wanted to represent Canada ever since she saw Michael Phelps win his eight Olympic Gold Medals at Beijing 2008.
In 2013 she competed at the FINA World Junior Championships and captured Bronze in the 400m individual medley.
That proved to be her strongest individual event in 2014 when she made her senior national team debut at age 16.
At both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships she made the final in the 400m IM, finishing fifth and sixth.
She anchored the 4x200m freestyle relay squad to Commonwealth Silver and Pan Pac Bronze, despite being the youngest member of the team.
She holds the Canadian age group record (15-17) for the 400m IM, breaking it twice in the same day at the Commonwealth Games.
Most if not all swimmers call the 400 IM one of the most painful and grueling events in their particular sport, but at the same time it’s exciting.
With 100m of each stroke, the leader will change based on the strengths of the finalists.
At the Pan Am Games in Toronto the lead changed following the race, all due to a disqualifications or DQ as it is known.
To the surprise of the spectators as well as the swimmers in the 400 IM, the overall winners Emily Overholt of Canada’s and Brazil’s Thiago Pereira were disqualified.
Other than a questionable call in any sport this is the worst thing a swimmer can hear following the race.
What is a non-simultaneous touch?
In butterfly and breaststroke swimmers must touch the wall on turns or at the finish with:
- both hands
- separated
- at the same time
Overholt, who had broken the Canadian record, was told she didn’t touch at the same time before turning for her second length (lap or 50m) of breaststroke swim.
“It does happen occasionally, I personally have never been disqualified for it,” she said on Thursday night after learning a Canadian appeal had been rejected.
At a national level non-simultaneous DQs do happen from time to time. They are much more rare at an international level.
Touching with one hand?
Thiago Pereira was removed as 400 IM winner because officials said he touched the wall with one hand during the race.
Again, always two hands on the wall in ‘fly’ or ‘breast’.
This one is much more rare at a high level, “…c’mon, I’ve been doing that for 15 years of my life,” said an incredulous Pereira, “I’ve never been DQ’d like that.”
In freestyle or backstroke, because the arms alternate, a one-hand touch at the finish is allowed. All elite swimmers do a flip turn (somersault) in ‘free’ and ‘back’ because it’s faster and they only have to touch the wall with ‘some part of the body’.
What about the relays?
The most frequent relay DQ is an early ‘take-over’ or exchange from one swimmer to another.
The next swimmer (their feet) cannot leave the starting blocks until the previous swimmer has touched. There’s also an electronic pad on the block and wall to check.
Here at TO2015, the American 4x200m freestyle relay was DQ’d briefly because swimmer Michael Weiss had taped his left hand.
No tape on the body is allowed unless approved and the DQ was later overturned on appeal.
One of the USA Swimming spokesperson stated “The US protested the disqualification on the grounds that treatment was necessary for the injury, and Weiss gained no competitive advantage as a result of his taping.”
One has to ask – did Canada sit back and do nothing or did they act on behalf of Emily and if they (swim Canada) acted what is the result of the protest?
The tape thing almost never happens.
Bonus: 15m rule
Swimmers can stay underwater until 15m off starts and turns, but this was limited because underwater dolphin kick can be faster and saves energy.
In longer races (200m, 400m) the best swimmers will use as much of the 15m to their advantage.
Here’s what it looks like:
