Hackett: They were pulling my legs
Grant Hackett has spoken about the disqualification which has cost him a place in the 10k open water event at the Beijing Olympics.
Hackett needed to finish in the top ten at the Seville open water world championships to book his place in the new Olympic event. The multiple gold medallist was sitting third with a kilometre remaining, before fading to 15th. However when the results were posted, Hackett had been disqualified – for interference with other swimmers. He was yellow carded twice before receiving his marching orders
“There were times when there were bodies everywhere, it was that kind of race,” he said. “I’m the first to admit that it was never going to be easy and with 150 metres to go another swimmer swam over the top of me and pulled me back and I swam over his legs and that’s what I was supposedly disqualified for.”
Hackett, who will return to the pool to prepare for the 1500m and 400m, was taken back by the ferocity and dirty tactics used by his fellow competitors.
“It certainly surprised me, that’s for sure. I knew it was going to be a rough race and there were plenty of guys pulling legs, swimming over the top of each other around the turning buoys but I was determined to stay away from all that kind of stuff - that was always my plan,” Hackett said.
Fellow Australian Ky Hurst finished fifth to book his spot in the Beijing 10k.
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Poor Grant, he really had a BIG target on his back and seems he didn’t know how to subtly hit punch grab pull like the others were doing. He can know concentrate on the 1500 and 400m, the 1500m is going to be tough this year, expect to have to go under 15min just to qualify for the final.