Paris Olympics: Alex Walsh Disqualified from 200 IM Final After Finishing Third

U.S. swimmer Alex Walsh, who seemed poised to win the women’s 200-meter individual medley after finishing third, was disqualified in a shocking turn of events.

Walsh led until the last 25 meters of the final freestyle lap but was narrowly beaten at the wall by Canada’s Summer McIntosh and fellow teammate Kate Douglass.

However, the excitement was short-lived as Walsh was disqualified for an inappropriate turn from backstroke to breaststroke, according to USA Swimming.

Walsh, who won a silver medal in this event at the Tokyo Olympics, faced disqualification due to the complicated nature of the backstroke-to-breaststroke transition, a topic that has been heavily debated among swimming officials.

The international swimming federation, FINA, mandates that in medley races, swimmers must touch the wall while on their back before transitioning to the next stroke.

Walsh’s disqualification stemmed from touching the wall with her stomach facing the bottom of the pool, which is not permitted.

Walsh’s chosen technique resulted in her disqualification, a critical error that cost her a place on the podium.

Walsh’s younger sister, Gretchen Walsh, is also competing in the Paris Games and has found success. She won gold in the 4×100-meter mixed medley relay and silver in both the 100-meter butterfly and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.