The recent disqualification of North Carolina State University distance freestyler Owen Lloyd in the 1650-yard freestyle at the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship denied the senior an automatic entry to the NCAA Division I Championships [see video above from Buttstroke Swimming].
After celebrating his new lifetime best time, the meet official announced that Lloyd had been disqualified for not following its NCAA rules.
NCAA Swimming Rules
- Rule 2, Section 5, Article 1a: “Any competitor who interferes with another swimmer during a race shall be disqualified from that race, subject to the discretion of the referee…”
- Rule 2, Section 5, Article 1b: “A swimmer who changes lanes during a heat shall be disqualified.”
The video shows that Lloyd climbs on the double lane lines after the race to celebrate and acknowledge the cheers from the crowd. He falls in apparent exhaustion and exhilaration to his left into the lane of second-place finisher Ross Dant who congratulates his teammate with mutual respect and joy. After falling into the lane next to him, Lloyd ducks under the lane line back into his own middle lane.
That was enough for the meet official to invoke Rule 2 and disqualify Lloyd.
The ruling was devastating for the young man whose collegiate career ended.
It did not matter what Lloyd’s intent was. It did not matter than Lloyd clearly did not interfere with Dant or any other swimmer in the race – or impact the final heat in any matter. The rule was the rule.
The Perspectives of Owen and Dant
Owen and Dant explain the aftermath of their race in a recent interview with SwimSwam:
Differences with Open Water Swimming
It is clear that Lloyd did not interfere with his teammate Dant who was already finished with his race, nor did he intend to. But in pool swimming, intent does not matter and is not taken into consideration.
In contrast, in World Aquatics open water swimming competitions and based on the traditions of the sport and the interpretations of the referees, intent does matter and is most definitely taken into consideration.
In competitive pool swimming, each swimmer has their own lane and interference is not an issue or, frankly, a consideration. But in open water swimming, competitors are often jostling and bumping into each other at the start, around turn buoys, in and out of the feeding stations, swimming into the finish chute, and throughout the course. This physicality – both intentional and unintentional – is inevitable. Experienced open water swimming referees understand this well.
So in the cases where there is physicality (either impeding, bumping, or some form of unsporting conduct), referees make a judgment call if the action is intentional or not. If intentional, either a yellow car (warning) or a red card (disqualification) is given to the offending swimmer. Two yellow cards are an automatic disqualification.
World Aquatics Open Water Swimming Rules
5.3 Disqualification Procedure
5.3.1 If in the opinion of the Chief Referee or Referees, any competitor, or competitor’s approved representative, or escort safety craft, takes advantage by committing any violation of the rules or by making intentional contact with any competitor, the following procedure shall apply:
5.3.1.1 1st Infringement:
A yellow flag and a card bearing the competitor’s number shall be raised to indicate and to inform the competitor that they are in violation of the Rules.
5.3.1.2 2nd Infringement:
A red flag and a card bearing the competitor’s number shall be raised by the Referee (Part Three, Article 3.1.6) to indicate and to inform the competitor that they are for the second time in violation of the Rules. The competitor shall be disqualified.
5.3.2 If in the opinion of a Referee, an action of a competitor or an escort safety craft, or a competitor’s approved representative is deemed to be ‘unsporting’ the Referee shall disqualify the competitor concerned immediately. The competitor must leave the water immediately and be placed in an escort craft and take no further part in the race.
5.7.1 Rendering assistance by an official medical officer to a competitor in apparent distress should always supersede official rules of disqualification through “intentional contact” with a competitor (Part Three, Article 5.3.1).
© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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