The 5 Stages of a DQ

official-watching-the-pool-at-2016-ncsa-juniors

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien

By Chandler Brandes, Swimming World College Intern.

DQ. Disqualified. Getting rung-up. Deeked. A big “X” next to your name on the results sheet. That-official-must-be-seeing-things.

There’s no pleasant way to say it. No matter how you phrase it, it sucks. It’s the worst thing that can happen to a swimmer (besides thinking practice is going to be easy and it ends up being really hard, of course).

Everyone has been disqualified before; it happens to the best of us. Sometimes you just know you did something illegal, other times it comes as a complete and utter shock. Either way, experiencing a DQ (and not the ice cream type) can be heartbreaking.

Here are the five stages of experiencing a disqualification:

1. Denial

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

There’s no way I could’ve gotten disqualified. The official definitely raised their hand for the lane next to me.

The first reaction after learning you’ve been disqualified is denial, especially if you didn’t know what you did constituted as a DQ. You think that there’s no way this could happen to you. You definitely didn’t touch with one hand on your breast-to-free turn. You couldn’t have done flutter kick during butterfly. It wasn’t you who went past the 15-meter marker. Nope, not a chance.

2. Anger

Madi Wilson showing the strain of another hard set of training. University of Auburn Aquatic Centre, Alabama USA. Australian Olympic Swimming Team are in their final training staging Camp before heading over to the Rio2016 Olympic Games. July 29 2016. Photo by Delly Carr. Pic credit mandatory for complimentary exclusive editorial usage. Thank You.

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr / Swimming Australia Ltd.

Why me?! This isn’t fair! How could this have happened? The official was clearly out to get me.

After being in denial, the next stage is anger. It’s perfectly okay to be angry and upset after being disqualified, but don’t take your anger out on your coach, teammates, or those around you. Remember, the official does not have a personal vendetta against you.

3. Bargaining

Jul 15, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Michael Weiss of the the United States talks with officials after being disqualified form the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final for having his fingers taped during the 2015 Pan Am Games at Pan Am Aquatics UTS Centre and Field House. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports Images

If this DQ is overturned I PROMISE I will never breathe off my walls and never pull on the lane line again. At least not all the time.

The middle stage is bargaining. You’re praying to the swimming gods that a miracle will happen and your DQ will go away. In your mind—or even out loud—you’re bargaining with yourself. Maybe if you don’t skip cool down the ruling will change? If you vow never to do one-arm butterfly again the “DQ” will disappear from the results? Anything could happen, right?

4. Depression

Photo Courtesy: Abby Boone

I’m so upset, I don’t know how I’m going to get through my other races.

You’re no longer in denial, you’re no longer angry, you’re no longer trying to make amends with the official. You’re straight-up depressed. Crying into your goggles, sulking on deck, thinking it’s the end of your swimming career. While it’s okay to be upset over a disqualification, do not dwell on it for too long. Put it behind you and don’t let it negatively impact your next race or the remainder of the meet.

5. Acceptance

Jan 16, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Ryan Lochte before competing in the men's 400 meter IM final during the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series at Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

It’s okay. I’ll work on it in practice so I won’t DQ next time.

Sometimes, all you can do is laugh and move on. While the DQ may be heartbreaking, what’s done is done. Learn from your mistakes, accept what has happened, take a deep breath in, and let it go.

If all else fails, treat yourself to some Dairy Queen.

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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Terry Warth Livingston

6 years ago

you have make mistakes to get better!

Alison Apodaca

6 years ago

That’s what we tell the kids! Dairy Queen!

Neil Morgan

6 years ago

Not on topic, but the picture shows the lanes laid out for a SCY meet. Do they actually use all the lanes for racing at once, or is only part of the pool used, or split down the middle? Never done a SCY meet, as in the UK we just have 25m pools everywhere, and then there’s usually only about 6 lanes on average.

Dan Smith

6 years ago

Neil: Usually 6-8 lanes used in SCY; rest are for warm-up/warm-down. At times they will use ten in prelims to make the meet run a little faster, then use 8 for consolations and the final. For the real senior members in swimming there used to be a 20 yard pool! Most of those were only four lanes wide. A real treat on relays, and historically we did have a 55yard pool for racing too; but that was outdoor.

Virginia Lee

6 years ago

Sounds like Elisabeth Kubler Ross MD Five stages of grieving