Team USA’s Alex Walsh qualified to compete in just one event during the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 200-meter individual medley. During the event, swimmers must perform all four strokes in one race, with each leg being 50 meters.
Walsh dominated her heat during the qualifying round with a 2:07.45 finish, winning her race by 0.85 seconds. The Nashville native, who won silver at the event at the Tokyo Olympics, entered the race at the Paris La Défense Arena as one of the favorites to win gold.
During the 200-meter IM final, Walsh finished third behind Canada’s Summer McIntosh, who won gold, and Team USA’s Kate Douglass, who nabbed silver. However, shortly after Walsh left the pool, the judges disqualified Walsh, stripping the bronze medal away from the 23-year-old swimmer.
Walsh was disqualified for an illegal move on the breast turn, as she was rotated fully onto her stomach before touching the wall. Fans and analysts were devastated for the swimmer, especially since it was her only event in Paris.
CBS Sports reporter Katie Mox posted , "My heart absolutely breaks for Alex Walsh. I can’t imagine the pain of making a mistake on the biggest stage and costing yourself a medal. Hoping she can forgive herself and also sending love to the lane official. No one wants to DQ someone at the Olympics."
SwimSwam's Braden Keith commented , "There was no gray area on that call. This wasn't 'past vertical' where you're measuring degrees. Alex Walsh was fully on her stomach. This is the system working - video replay confirmed it. It's gut-wrenching, but swimming is based around these kind of rules."
Gretchen Walsh, Walsh's sister, was warming up for the 4x100 mixed relay when she learned about Alex's fate. "I was just stopped in the middle of the pool, like so upset," Gretchen told reporters.
"I don't really know how to describe it, but yeah, I knew that I was gonna have to move on from that quickly in the moment and give her a big hug, tell her that I'm here for her and then go out and do this in her honor." While Gretchen went on to win gold in the 4x100 mixed relay, her sister will return home without a medal.
After Walsh was disqualified, Australia's Kaylee McKeown was awarded the bronze medal.
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