Two athletes disqualified after finishing race hand-in-hand

Not the way this pair would have wanted their race to end.

Two British triathletes Jess Learmonth and Georgia Taylor-Brown, were celebrating a great performance at the World Triathlon Olympic Qualification Event in Tokyo, where they were set to finish first and second.

Unable to contain their joy, the compatriots held hands and crossed the line together, well clear of the athlete in third, Bermuda’s Flora Duffy.

Although Learmonth was then declared the winner, the rules of the  International Triathlon Union’s competition state that “athletes who finish in a contrived tie situation, where no effort to separate their finish times has been made will be DSQ (disqualified).”

Hence, the two athletes were disqualified with Duffy being handed first place.

The two, however, do not miss out on a potential place at the Olympics as, fortunately for them, the running section was cut by half due to bad weather.

The decision sparked some outrage on social media as a number of people backed the British pair.

Others felt that the women’s action was unnecessary so the disqualification was justified.

Mike Cavendish, British Triathlon National Performance Director said: It’s obviously disappointing to have Jess and Georgia disqualified but it’s a testament to the depth of our female squad that we still have another athlete on the podium.”