The 26-year-old was disqualified for a lesser-known rule during the 200-meter backstroke event on July 31—swimming beyond the allowed 15 meters underwater at the start of the race.
Luke’s expression quickly turned to one of devastation as he looked at the scoreboard, put his hands to his head in distress, and dropped to his knees.
After the news broke, Luke spoke to reporters about the upsetting disqualification.
“I don’t know what to say, absolutely gutted,” he said. “It’s really annoying. I feel like I’m on good form.”
According to World Aquatics, competitive swimming’s international governing body, swimmers participating in the backstroke can’t be fully submerged more than 15 meters after starting the race or completing a turn.
“By that point, the head must have broken the surface,” the rules state. There are red buoys along each swimming lane to mark the 15-meter point, and although it’s not a common rule known by the public, it is well-known among swimmers. The 15-meter rule is applied in backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle events but not in breaststroke.
Luke won the bronze medal in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was also part of Team GB, which won the silver medal in the 4×100-meter medley. His teammate Ollie Morgan progressed into the semi-finals.
