Triathletes disqualified from Olympics warm-up race for crossing finishing line hand-in-hand
(CNN) — Two British triathletes were disqualified from an Olympics qualification race Tokyo for crossing the finish line .
Jess Learmonth and Georgia Taylor-Brown passed across the line in a photo finish, holding each other’s hands and celebrating as they completed that the World Triathlon Olympic Qualification Event in the host city of following year’s Olympic Games. Learmonth was announced the winner.
However, despite being comfortably clear of the nearest competitors, the set have been disqualified due to their show of solidarity.
The International Triathlon Union’s competition rules say that”athletes who finish in a contrived tie situation, in which no effort to divide their end times has been made will be DSQ (disqualified).”
Learmonth and Taylor-Brown nonetheless received support from a number of fellow athletes following the ruling.
“I am really upset for these champions. A notification off but dq??? Olympic places lives and lost possibly changed?!” Ironman champion Jodie Swallow and former British Olympian composed on Twitter.
Bermuda’s Flora Duffy, who completed after the group, was raised to the winner’s place, although Italian Alice Betto claimed second location.
Luckily for the group, but the disqualification did not ultimately result in them falling out on places in the next year’s Olympics.
The running section of this race was cut from the Olympic distance of 10km to 5km due to bad weather, meaning Britain’s Olympic competitions will be decided later in the year as opposed to about the outcomes of the contest.
Athlete Vicky Holland finished third as a result of the disqualification. She advised the British Triathlon regulating body:”It is was not the set of circumstances that you need when you win a medal but you must play with what is provided to you and I have come out with a third place finish”
“I actually feel like Jess and Georgia because they hurried exceptionally well now and I feel like they absolutely smashed it deserved the first and second end,” she added.
Mike Cavendish, British Triathlon National Performance Director, added:”It’s obviously disappointing to own Jess and Georgia disqualified but it’s a testament to the thickness of our female squad we have yet the other athlete on the podium.”
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