What happened to Luke Greenbank at the 2024 Olympics?
The swimmer was disqualified after falling foul of a rule in his 200m backstroke heat in Paris.
It wouldn't be the Olympic Games without some heartbreak alongside the magic moments, and one unlucky athlete who has been dealt a hammer blow this year is British swimmer Luke Greenbank.
The 26-year-old from Crewe was competing in the heats for the 200m backstroke event – the same category in which he won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago– and looked to have secured a spot in the semi-finals after finishing first following an extremely impressive swim.
However, when he glanced up at the results, he soon had his head in his hands after discovering that he had actually been disqualified and that his Olympic dream was at an end for this year.
So what actually happened? Read on for everything you need to know.
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What happened to Luke Greenbank at the 2024 Olympics?
Despite finishing comfortably in first place in his heat, Greenbank was disqualified after it emerged he had fallen foul of a vital rule.
It turned out that he had travelled for too long under water after the final turn of the race – narrowly failing to break the surface before the red line at the 15m mark and, therefore, breaking the rules.
This rule is in place in the backstroke, butterfly and freestyle events and is intended to reduce unfair competition since swimming underwater reduces drag and is therefore more efficient.
Speaking after the race, Greenbank understandably said that he was "absolutely gutted" by the outcome.
"It’s really annoying, I feel like I’m on good form," he added.
The full rule reads: "Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race.
"It is permissible for the swimmer to be completely sub-merged during the turn, at the finish and for a distance of not more than 15 metres after the start and each turn.
"By that point the head must have broken the surface."
Despite Greenbank's disqualification, Team GB will still be represented in the semi-finals after Oliver Morgan – who previously made the final in the 100m backstroke – managed to qualify.
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