US Olympic gold medalist & Efimova rival King disqualified at World Championships
US swimming star Lily King has been disqualified from the women’s 200m breaststroke preliminaries at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in South Korea.
The two-time Olympic champion won her preliminary heat before being disqualified for not touching the wall with both hands during the first turn.
US swimming officials filed a protest aiming to reverse King’s sensational disqualification, but their appeal was denied by a FINA panel.
Lilly King disqualified for this turn, what they are calling a non-simultaneous touch #FINAGwangju2019@swimswamnewspic.twitter.com/wZ8QM5x9iz
— James Sutherland (@jimmy_hug3) July 25, 2019
King, who had already claimed gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke, beating her principle rival Russia’s Yulia Efimova, was the main favorite to dominate at 200m.
An exciting finish to the Women’s 100m Breaststroke final where USA’s Lilly King and her old foe Yuliya Efimova were neck-and-neck as they approached the tiles. #FINAGwangju2019#Swimmingpic.twitter.com/bMlCPZM2ZJ
— FINA (@fina1908) July 23, 2019
With King’s disqualification, Efimova will be widely tipped to win the women’s 200m breaststroke final which will be held on Friday.
