This Strange Incident Almost Ended the US Open Swimming Championship Back in the Day

As the sun set on the horizon, the cascading waters in the Greensboro Aquatic Center became calm once again. Day 2 of the 2023 U.S. Open Swimming Championship came to a close with the scent of chlorine and energetic cheers permeating the air inside the North Carolina arena. The U.S. Open has held similar prestige and significance in the swimming world for decades, but one mishap in the past threatened its very existence. 

In 2013, a technical glitch occurred in the timing system. This abnormality created a twist in the heart of the competition and affected two major races. Here’s what happened. 

A critical technical glitch in the 2013 edition

The bizarre incident first happened during the men’s 50-meter freestyle final. Competing for the gold was American record holder Cullen Jones. However, the malfunction in the timing system unsettled his rhythm, allowing Auburn standout Karl Krug to seize the opportunity. He clinched the title with a time of 22.15 seconds. His closest rival was Cal’s Seth Stubblefield, who touched the wall at 22.19. While Krug was happy with his meet-closing victory, fourth-place finisher Cullen Jones protested against the flawed timing system. As per records in The Orange County Register, he said, “I know I’m better than what I put out today”.

Jones trained with the SwimMac Carolina club for the U.S. Open Swimming Championship. He had secured a fourth place in the 2013 U.S. world trials as well and could not compete at the FINA World Championships in Spain. Therefore, the recent loss of the podium stung him the hardest. The timing mishap continued into the women’s races and raised many questions about the accuracy of the results. 

The timing mishap paused the women’s 1,500 freestyle

The women competing for the women’s 1,500 freestyle title at the 2013 U.S. Open Swimming Championship endured a rather disappointing start. A technical glitch occurred midway into the race, and the swimmers were asked to stop after 11/2 laps. There was a delay of about 15 minutes before the race restarted. Australia’s Laura Crockart ultimately won the race, but her victory was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the timing mishap.

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Janardan Burns, who swam the 800 m free, commented on the incident, saying, “I’ve never seen that happen”. The atmosphere inside the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center was tense as the swimming sensations were unhappy with the arrangements. It took a rather sad turn when 2012 Olympic gold medalist Tyler McGill announced his retirement. The swimming world lamented the timing mishap that tarnished the star swimmer’s farewell. 

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