World Championships, Day One Prelims: Favorite Great Britain Disqualified in 400 Free Relay

Athletes of Great Britain react after been disqualified in the Men's 4x100 Freestyle relay preliminary during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 23rd, 2023.

Matthew Richards; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment.

Worlds Prelims: Favorite Great Britain Disqualified in 400 Free Relay

Great Britain touched the wall first Sunday afternoon in prelims of the men’s 400 freestyle relay at the World Aquatics Championships. But the scoreboard had a dour surprise for them.

The pre-meet favorites were disqualified for a false start by the third swimmer, Jacob Whittle, with a reaction time of minus-.04 seconds at the Marine Messe Hall in Fukuoka, Japan. They had touched in 3:10.47, clearly getting the win in the first of two circle-seeded heats and well up on the winner of the final heat, the Americans. The U.S. went 3:11.63, which would’ve only cemented the British status as favorites.

The jump came on the handoff from legs two to three, from Matthew Richards to Whittle. Richards had just finished up an outstanding second leg with a split of 46.89 seconds, and Lewis Burras put them out in front with a split of 48.61 on the opening leg. Duncan Scott swam the anchor.

Whittle clocked in at 47.37 on his split. Scott went 47.60.

The time would’ve not only earned the top seed in Sunday’s final but rewritten the British record by a massive margin of more than six tenths of a second.

The DQ dents a period of British relay ascendancy on the men’s side. At the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, they finished third in the 400 medley, third in the 800 free and fourth in the men’s 400 free, setting said national record in the relay with a time of 3:11.14. That squad was comprised of Burras, Whittle, Richards and Tom Dean. Dean would’ve been waiting to sub into the finals squad on Sunday night in Fukuoka.

Great Britain famously ended a century-long relay drought at the Tokyo Olympics by winning the 800 free relay there in 2021. They’ve improved leaps and bounds from the ninth-place 400 free relay (Richards, James Guy, Joe Litchfield, Whittle) that went 3:13.17.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

2 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Michael

9 months ago

I saw the race… They wouldʻve won in the finals. Sad

rufu

9 months ago

Reply to Michael

Perhaps. The USA usually swims B team during prelims.