Ella Eastin appeared to touch second in the women’s 400 IM at U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, but she was disqualified for “swimming more than a quarter of the race in a style of backstroke.”
That indicates a violation of the so-called “Lochte rule,” which was instituted after the 2015 World Championships when Ryan Lochte began kicking on his back while swimming freestyle. It was determined that in any IM or medley relay event, a swimmer cannot come off the wall past vertical (i.e., closer to back down) on freestyle legs.
Bethany Galat, who is already on the World Champs team as the second-place finisher in the women’s 200 breast, was also DQ’ed in the 400 IM final for a similar rules violation.
After both DQs were announced, the crowd at the IUPUI Natatorium boo’ed the calls as Stanford women’s coach Greg Meehan made his way to the officials table to protest.
UPDATE: A total of four swimmers were DQed in 400 IM finals for violations of the same rule. Along with Eastin and Galat, Kathryn Painter was DQed in the women’s B-final and Brennan Balogh in the men’s B-final.
That rule change got a lot of press. They should have known.
Its been newsworthy for awhile, they should have known.
they should have known and their coaches should have been more observant of how they were transitioning in practice.
Must be calling it a little tight
Jerry Adams
Cuz it’s called so consistently
from the US swimming stroke and turn regulations:
“In the event designated freestyle the swimmer may swim any style, except that in a medley relay or an individual
medley event, freestyle means any style other than butterfly, breaststroke or backstroke.”
It’s a new interpretation of the rule that kicking on one’s back in the freestyle section of the IM means the swimmer is not swimming freestyle according to the IM rules. It hasn’t been called very often because it’s the newest rule on the books.
What??! That rule is the stupidest rule that they could make to try and feel like they have to justify themselves as having a job…Freestyle.
That was Ella Eastin ‘a best shot for glory, I feel bad for her?