Report: Qualifying times for 17 swimmers competing in Rio Olympics questioned
The qualifying times for 17 swimmers competing in the Rio Olympics were called into question after times did not match up to the official results, according to a report from The Guardian.
The 17 swimmers, which comprised 11 men and six women from 16 different countries, had qualifying times listed that were different from the results posted by the World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia last August.
Nine competitors had times that did not match the World Aquatics Championships and the other eight had times from events they didn’t compete in or were disqualified from.
The sport’s governing body, the International Swimming Federation (FINA), said the timing mistakes were made by the Rio Organizing Committee. The organizing committee told The Guardian that FINA has the final responsibility in making sure the times are correct.
For example, Kenya swimmer Hamdan Bayusuf was one of the 17 swimmers whose entry time for Rio Olympics has changed.
Bayusuf’s time for the 100 meter backstroke was listed as 59.99 seconds, which was achieved in the first heat of the event in Kazan. The actual results sheet from the race shows Bayusuf’s finished the race in 1:07.
The Guardian reported that there is no evidence or suggestion of wrongdoing, or that athletes had knowledge of the changed times.
- Scooby Axson
