- Luke Greenbank looked to have secured a place in the semi-finals of the 200m backstroke
- But he was kicked out of the event after breaking a rule that had been in place since 1988
- Paris 2024 Olympic Games LIVE: Follow the latest news about the Games
Great Britain star swimmer Luke Greenbank’s dream of swimming the 200m backstroke has ended after he was disqualified following his heat win in Paris.
Greenbank looked set to secure a place in the semi-finals of the event at the La Defense Arena but panicked when he was caught under a little-known rule.
The two-time Olympic medallist clocked a time of 1 minute and 56 seconds, qualifying more than a second faster than favourite Hubert Kos of Hungary.
But joy quickly turned to despair for the 26-year-old when footage showed Greenbank swimming too far underwater at the start of the race.
According to a World Aquatics rule, in effect since 1988, athletes are not allowed to dive deeper than 15 meters while still underwater, at which point their heads must have broken the surface of the water.
Luke Greenbank looks upset after being disqualified from the men’s 200m backstroke
Greenbank quickly realized his mistake, which ruined his Olympic dream in the event in Paris
The 26-year-old broke the rules by going further than 15 meters while still underwater
Your browser does not support iframes.
Greenbank looked up at the TV screens in the arena and quickly realised he was about to be ejected from the event. The British athlete, a bronze medallist in the event in Tokyo three years ago, then collapsed to the ground in despair.
“I don’t know what to say, I’m absolutely devastated,” he said after the race. “It’s really annoying, I feel like I’m in good shape.”
The full rule reads: ‘Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race.
‘The swimmer is permitted to be completely submerged during the turn, at the finish and for a distance of up to 15 metres after the start and after each turn.
‘At that moment the head must have broken the surface of the water.’
His teammate Ollie Morgan had no trouble at all and reached the semi-finals.
Greenbank also won silver in the 4x100m medley at Tokyo 2020 and is a former world champion in this event.
The incident was just a setback on an otherwise fantastic day for Team GB, who won gold in the women’s quads and men’s triathlon in quick succession on Wednesday.
Great Britain claimed their first gold medal in the pool on Tuesday evening in the French capital as the team of James Guy, Tom Dean, Matt Richards and Duncan Scott successfully defended their Olympic title in the 4x200m freestyle relay.