Emma Weyant appeared headed to the finals within the 400-meter particular person medley preliminary race at USA Swimming’s Phillips 66 National Championships on Thursday afternoon at Indianapolis, chasing down Florida’s Alex Walsh within the closing 50 meters for an in depth second-place time of 4:38:08.
Walsh grabbed the victory however judges disqualified Weyant for a dolphin kick in the course of the breaststroke — the third leg of an IM race — placing an abrupt finish to the 2021 Olympic silver medalist’s celebration. She exited the pool to hunt counsel from her coach whereas the ruling was confirmed in a video assessment.
In the occasion’s championship warmth Thursday night time, Katie Grimes took the title at 4:33.80, with Walsh claiming second place at 4:35.46. Leah Hayes got here in third at 4:38.45.
When the general public handle announcement of Weyant’s disqualification was made, followers in attendance at IUPUI Natatorium let loose a collective gasp, adopted by boos. Weyant gained the bronze medal on the 2022 World Championships.
USA Swimming defined the disqualification with the rulebook pointers stating “one butterfly kick is permitted after each start or turn in breaststroke. After that one fly kick is performed, all movement of a swimmer’s legs must be simultaneous without alternating movement.”
The ruling probably ends any likelihood for Weyant to achieve Worlds in Japan subsequent month. She didn’t attain the ultimate within the 200 freestyle on Wednesday and is seeded twelfth within the 400 freestyle, her solely remaining occasion.
Olympian Caeleb Dressel didn’t qualify for Worlds in a 3rd occasion on Thursday. He bumped as much as the A closing within the 100 butterfly after Ryan Murphy scratched for the finals, however Dressel wound up tying for fifth. Dare Rose (50.74 seconds) gained the occasion, with Thomas Heilman (51.19) inserting second and Shaine Casas (51.42) taking third.
Dressel, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist entered in his first main swimming occasion in additional than a 12 months, owns the world report time of 49.45 within the 100 fly however swam a 51.66 within the Thursday finals.
Dressel will get his final shot at reaching the Worlds when he swims within the 50 freestyle on Saturday.
The ladies’s 100 butterfly finals featured the highest 3 times on the earth this 12 months. Tori Huske prevailed at 56.18, with Gretchen Walsh (56.34) and Kate Douglass (56.43) shut behind.
The day’s tightest end result occurred within the ladies’s 50 backstroke, the place Katharine Berkoff (27.13 seconds) gained by one-One hundredth of a second over Regan Smith (27.14). Gretchen Walsh positioned third at 27.54.
Other top-three finishers on Thursday:
–Men’s 50 backstroke: 1. Justin Ress, 24.10 seconds; 2. Hunter Armstrong, 24.16; 3. Wyatt Davis, 24.62.
–Women’s 50 breaststroke: 1. Lilly King, 29.77 seconds; 2. Lydia Jacoby, 29.81; 3. Kaitlyn Dobler, 30.36.
–Men’s 50 breaststroke: 1. Nic Fink, 26.74 seconds; 2. Michael Andrew, 26.87; 3. Noah Nichols, 27.30.
–Men’s 400 particular person medley: 1. Carson Foster, 4:08.14; 2. Chase Kalisz, 4:08.22; 3. Bobby Finke, 4:09.55.
–Field Level Media
(Photo credit score: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)