British swimmer Luke Greenbank’s promising start in the men’s 200-meter backstroke at the Paris Olympics came to an abrupt end when he was disqualified despite finishing first in the heats. Greenbank’s disqualification stemmed from a lesser-known rule violation: exceeding the 15-meter underwater limit allowed at the start of the race. The 26-year-old was visibly devastated when he saw the disqualification on the scoreboard. He clutched his head in distress and dropped to his knees, clearly overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events.
“I don’t know what to say, absolutely gutted,” Greenbank told reporters. “It’s really annoying. I feel like I’m on good form.” His disqualification was due to the technical rule enforced by World Aquatics, the international governing body for competitive swimming. According to the rule, swimmers in backstroke events must not be fully submerged beyond 15 meters after the start or during turns, and their head must break the surface by this point. Although not widely known outside the swimming community, this rule is well-understood among athletes.
Greenbank, who won bronze in the 200-meter backstroke at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and was part of Team GB’s silver-medal-winning 4×100-meter medley relay team, faced a heartbreaking end to his Paris campaign. His teammate, Ollie Morgan, advanced to the semi-finals.
In related news, Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira was sent home from the Olympics after violating team regulations. Vieira and teammate Gabriel Santos were penalized for leaving the Olympic Village after the opening ceremony. While Santos received a warning, Vieira’s disrespectful reaction to the reprimand led to her dismissal from the delegation and immediate return to Brazil. These incidents highlight the stringent regulations and high stakes athletes face at the Olympic Games.
In other news – Buffalo Souljah claims South Africa’s future President will be an outsider
Zimbabwean dancehall artist Buffalo Souljah has stirred debate by predicting that South Africa will one day have a foreign-born president. His comments come in the wake of controversy surrounding Miss SA Top 11 finalist Chidimma Adetshina, whose participation in the pageant has been met with backlash due to her Nigerian heritage.
Chidimma Adetshina, born in Soweto and currently residing in Cape Town, has faced criticism from some quarters because her father is Nigerian. The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has even announced plans to explore legal avenues to confirm her South African citizenship, asserting that Adetshina’s family appears to celebrate her success as a Nigerian rather than as a South African. Read More
