The women’s 100m backstroke final is to be re-run following an official protest by Sweden over the starter signal in lane eight at the European Championships in Budapest.
Kathleen Dawson had lowered her championship record to win in 58.18 but the result is now void and will take place once more on Friday evening after LEN upheld a protest over the starter system.
Given the governing body did so, there was no counter protest by Britain.
The Briton thought she had claimed her second gold of the meet after finishing just 0.06 off Gemma Spofforth‘s 2009 European record of 58.12 to catapult her into the top-10 swims all-time as she became the sixth-fastest woman in history.
Kira Toussaint, the 50 back champion, was second with Maria Kameneva third.
While Dawson celebrated, Toussaint questioned the starter system, saying:
“The start was very weird. I don’t know if the starting system was stuck or something and I wasn’t even sure if we were supposed to go.”
The first hint something was amiss came when the medal ceremony didn’t go ahead as scheduled and a spokesperson confirmed to Swimming World that an official protest had been lodged and the final would be re-run, saying:
“Due to the partial malfunction of the starting system, the women’s 100m backstroke final shall be re-swum at 20.45 this evening.
“All competitors are to swim the race again.”
Swedish swimmer Louise Hansson had occupied lane eight and no reaction time is listed for her.
She did though go out in 30.59 – the slowest of the field by 1.58secs – and came home in 1:02.29 for eighth place.
It’s not the first time that faulty equipment has impacted on the European Championships.
In Glasgow three years ago faulty timing equipment resulted in the amending of several results including Adam Peaty‘s 100m breaststroke world record which was revised from 57.10 to 57.00.
Marie Wattel, who headed the 100 free semis in 53.34 on Friday, posted to social media, saying:
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