Controversial Disqualification in College Swimming: Title Stripped for Celebrating with Teammate

A swimmer from North Carolina State University won the 1,650-yard freestyle title at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships but got disqualified for celebrating with his teammate before the race was officially over. One of his teammates criticized the decision, calling it the "dumbest rule in swimming."

The head referee at the meet enforced a rule from the NCAA rulebook, Rule 2, Section 5, which resulted in Lloyd being disqualified for changing lanes during a heat.

After the incident, CNN contacted NC State for a statement, but they referred the news outlet to the ACC and the NCAA for any comments.

Winning the ACC Championship title would have secured Lloyd a spot at the NCAA Championships in the event.

Dant expressed his disagreement with the rule on the ACC Network, stating, “I think that’s the dumbest rule in swimming. Owen beat me fair and square, he should be on that podium. He was excited. That’s a huge win for him, right? He earned that, and that’s his emotion."

In the sport of swimming, we work hard all year for moments like these. It's disappointing when someone gets disqualified for no good reason. This swimmer puts in so much effort every single day. He deserves to be on that No. 1 trophy. I won't stand for it.

Christopher Morales Williams of Georgia rusn in the 400m during the 63rd Mt. San Antonio College Relays, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Walnut, Calif. (Kirby Lee via AP)

Christopher Morales Williams of Georgia rusn in the 400m during the 63rd Mt. San Antonio College Relays, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Walnut, Calif. (Kirby Lee via AP)

Kirby Lee/AP

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"I believe the rule is reasonable if you're disrupting a swimmer who is still in the middle of a race," Dant explained to The Athletic. "However, I think there should be a exception to the rule that states 'not impeding a swimmer's ability to finish the race' or something similar.

"He didn't impede my lane since I had already finished, and all the other swimmers around us had finished too. His entry into my lane would not have impacted the person in lane six."

Lloyd was really upset by the decision. He sat by the pool and cried when he heard the announcement.

"I started crying because I was so upset. It felt like all my hard work was suddenly taken away because of a strange situation," Lloyd shared with The Athletic.

Becoming an ACC champion was a major milestone for me. I had worked hard to rise through the ranks within the team, the conference, and even nationally. I had seen other swimmers get close to the lane line, so when I did it, I didn't think much of it.

During the mile race, I made a move to pull ahead, not realizing that another swimmer was still in the race. It never occurred to me that I might be disrespecting them or displaying inappropriate emotions while they were still competing. I was simply going with the flow.

Dant later gave the first-place medal to Lloyd in the stands. Lloyd mentioned that he now keeps the ACC Championship title in his bedroom.

The incident received a lot of criticism, including from Fox reporter Will Kunkel who described the decision as "outrageous."

“Can we not have some discretion here?” he asked on X. “This is so sad and stupid.”

Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, the color commentator for the race, raised a question about the referee's enforcement of rules in other races.

In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), she expressed her view, "I am someone who follows rules. I believe in following rules because I value order. My issue with this situation is that if you're going to enforce a rule, it should be applied consistently across the board."

Just five minutes after the chaotic incident, some swimmers were seen diving into the pool while performing the backstroke. The issue here is that according to the rules, backstrokers are required to enter the pool feet first.

If Owen Lloyd was called out for celebrating and supposedly 'interfering' - even though he did not actually interfere - then the same standard should apply to the backstrokers who were diving in. It's only fair to enforce the rules consistently for all swimmers. This inconsistency is what I find troubling about the entire situation.

The 2024 NCAA Division 1 championships will take place at IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, between March 27 and 30.

Editor's P/S:

The disqualification of the North Carolina State University swimmer for celebrating with his teammate before the race was officially over has sparked outrage and debate. The rule enforced by the