American swimming great Ryan Lochte risked disqualification with a new technique that he used to win the 200 metres individual medley at the world championships on Thursday, NBC television reported.
Lochte became only the second man to win titles in the same individual event in four consecutive world championships when he triumphed in Kazan, Russia.
The five-time Olympic champion emulated the feat of Australian Grant Hackett, who won four 1,500 metres titles in a row between 1998 and 2005.
Victory for Lochte was secured after a powerful surge off the wall at 150 metres, where he used a new rotational technique he has introduced only over the last three months.
On the transition from breaststroke to freestyle, Lochte propelled himself on his back for several metres before rolling over to start his freestyle stroke. Everyone else stayed, more or less, on their belly as soon as they push off the wall.
NBC reported that the Australian judge who oversaw Lochte’s final turn was planning to disqualify the swimmer if he used the same technique in the final as he did in qualifying.
But the disqualification never came.
“I took that chance tonight. They said you might get disqualified,” Lochte said.
“I’ve never heard a rule saying you can’t do that but I think they’re going to start changing the rules now.
“I just did my race, didn’t worry about it and whatever happened at the outcome I’ll take it, whatever.
“This is just a stepping stone for what I want to accomplish in Rio (at the 2016 Olympics).”
