Owen Lloyds's journey from controversial disqualification at ACC championships to NCAA podium

Owen Lloyd witnessed a huge setback last month after he was disqualified at the ACC Swimming and Diving Championships 2024 while competing in the men's 1650m freestyle. His disqualification from the event took social media by storm and fans could not believe what had just happened.

However, fast forward a while, and the young swimmer became an All-American following his performances at the NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships.

What exactly led to Owen Lloyd's disqualification?

Owen Lloyd was competing in the finals of the 1650m freestyle at the ACC Swimming and Diving Championships 2024. Llyod led the pack and finished the race by touching the line and finishing first. His fellow North Carolina teammate Ross Dant finished second.

As soon as his teammate finished the race, Lloyd who was beaming with exhilaration and enthusiasm after winning the race ascended the rope separating lanes and fell over into his teammate Dant's lane. It was this incident that led to his disqualification which race officials termed as " Lane Interference".

The rule of lane interference is applied when a swimmer crosses lanes and interferes with another swimmer's designated racing path. However, some swimmers were yet to complete their race when this incident happened which ultimately led the officials to disqualify him.

However, technically both swimmers had completed their respective races. This point eventually fueled the controversy about whether the decision by the referees was right or not. The NCAA's swimming rule book does not explicitly address this situation particularly but swimmers are often seen congratulating their competitors after the race across the ropes as soon as the race is over.

North Carolina swimmer Ross Dant won the gold medal in the Men's 1650m freestyle after Owen Lloyd was disqualified from the race.

“Upset, angry, and confused about what happened tonight, but not defeated. They can take away the points and the official win but they can never take away my drive, my passion, and my love for my team," Lloyd wrote on Instagram.

" There are lessons to be learned and I’m sure I will find the silver linings in this experience but I know that I am not finished and that all of this just added more fuel to the fire. Thankful for everyone who supported, cheered, booed, and that have helped me get to where I am, we ain’t done yet.," he added.

Owen Lloyd became an All-American after performances at NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships 2024

Owen Lloyd marched into the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships 2024 in an attempt to clinch the national title. The national games are one of the most competitive stages for an American swimmer.

Weeks after the controversy and setback Lloyd took to the diving board in the Men's 1650m freestyle. He finished the race with a personal best time of 14:39.18. This performance granted him All- American honors.

Apart from the 1650m freestyle, Lloyd also competed in the 400 individual medley event, clocking 3:43:21 in the preliminaries.