By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
2021 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Turkey’s Emre Sakci was disqualified for the second time during Day 5 finals at the 2021 Short Course World Championships, getting called for an infraction in the men’s 50 breaststroke semi-finals after producing the top time in the field.
Sakci, 24, initially put up a time of 25.52 in the first semi of the men’s 50 breast, which would’ve held up as the top time heading to the final had he not been DQed.
While the reason for the disqualification was not revealed, Sakci was one of 13 swimmers DQed in a breaststroke session during the first session of the meet, a result of the new underwater cameras that are being used for just the second time with the ability to initiate infractions (with the Tokyo Olympics being the first).
Alia Atkinson, who, like Sakci, posted the top time of the semis, was disqualified in the women’s 50 breast on the first day of competition as well.
FINA Technical Swim Commitee Chair Carol Zaleski told SwimSwam that most of the breaststroke disqualifications on Day 1 were due to swimmers using a downward dolphin kick into the turn or finish of the race.
World record holder Ilya Shymanovich won the second semi of the men’s 50 breast in 25.55 to qualify first into the final, followed by American Nic Fink (25.68) and Italian Nicolo Martinenghi (25.87).
Sakci’s best time of 25.29 is just .04 slower than the world record held jointly by Shymanovich and South African Camron van der Burgh (25.25).
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Emre Sakci Disqualified (Again) In Men’s 50 Breast Semis After Posting Top Time