New photos from World Aquatics Championships has given Australian star Kaylee McKeown even more reason to be angry about being rejected.
McKeown wondered where he and the other two swimmers were did not enter Sunday’s semi final of the women’s 200m medley which was considered an illegal transition from the backstroke to the breaststroke part of the race when approaching the wall.
The 22-year-old agreed Seeing the cartoons that disqualified him made him “disappointed”and the final game on Monday night would not change his mind.
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The race was won by American Kate Douglass, but replays showed that silver medalist Alex Walsh had turned the same as McKeown and escaped without penalty.
The rules used to disqualify McKeown were rules 6.5 and 9.4 of the World Aquatics Competition Regulations.
Rule 6.5 applies to the backstroke and states that the swimmer “must touch the wall while on the back”, while rule 9.4 relates to medley events and states that “each part must be completed in accordance with the rule applied to the stroke in question”.
McKeown and Walsh’s changing frames show the Aussie on his side as he reaches the wall, while the American appears to have turned onto his stomach before hitting the wall.
According to the rule, both swimmers should have been disqualified, but Walsh escaped.
Former Olympic gold medalist Giaan Rooney said the recent introduction of video analysis has changed the sport.
“It’s a new judgement, but now that the video judgment has come, you need to know more,” he said on the Nine news.
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McKeown also recovered from the disappointment of being denied a first-place finish in the semi-final of the 100-metre backstroke, but was left red-faced.
“It’s a game, and that’s what happens in a game,” he said.
The Aussie Olympic champion did not qualify for Japan
“I didn’t see my period last night but when I saw it this morning I thought it wasn’t fair…bad things happen.”
“Unfortunately, some people are dealt a bad hand and I’ve just been dealt a bad hand.
“It’s just a matter of trying to turn it into a positive and give them a big FU.”
McKeown will be in action Tuesday night in the women’s 100 meter backstroke final.and
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