Paralympics Marred by Disqualification Controversy as Swimmer Overturned
The 2024 Paralympics faced a major controversy on Sunday, September 1, when Australian swimmer Ahmed Kelly was mistakenly disqualified from his race, creating chaos at the event.
Kelly, who has had both arms and legs amputated, was competing in the men’s 150m medley SM3 heat. Despite finishing second behind his teammate Grant Patterson, Kelly was disqualified due to a misunderstanding regarding his swimming stroke.
The issue arose when Kelly opted to use the butterfly stroke instead of the traditional front crawl for the freestyle leg of the medley. This led to his disqualification, as officials believed he had violated the stroke regulations.
However, the situation was swiftly addressed when Swimming Australia appealed the decision. The disqualification was subsequently overturned after it was clarified that Kelly had not breached any rules. Annabelle Williams, a fellow swimmer, clarified on Channel 9 that the freestyle leg of the medley event permits any stroke, as long as it is not backstroke or breaststroke.
Williams explained, “The definition of freestyle allows swimmers to perform any stroke they choose, including double-arm butterfly. Ahmed’s use of this stroke was entirely permissible.”
She also confirmed that Kelly had performed the strokes in the correct order: backstroke, breaststroke, and then butterfly, further supporting the appeal.
Following the reinstatement, Kelly went on to secure a silver medal, demonstrating resilience and skill amid the confusion.
