August 17, 2016 9.31 am This story is over 90 months old

Fuming Lincoln swimmer Jack Burnell fails in bid to overturn disputed disqualification

Seething Lincolnshire Olympian Jack Burnell has had an appeal against the decision to disqualify him from the 10k marathon swimming event refused by officials. Scunthorpe-born Jack, 23, was disqualified from the event after receiving two yellow cards in the water. In a photo finish, Jack was initially in third place but replays showed that he had…

Seething Lincolnshire Olympian Jack Burnell has had an appeal against the decision to disqualify him from the 10k marathon swimming event refused by officials.

Scunthorpe-born Jack, 23, was disqualified from the event after receiving two yellow cards in the water.

In a photo finish, Jack was initially in third place but replays showed that he had just missed out on the touch.

Jack has said that a competitor had been holding his leg in the final stretch but this was not caught on camera.

Despite what looked like an extremely close finish, Jack was sadly disqualified.

Despite what looked like an extremely close finish, Jack was sadly disqualified.

Jack originally qualified for the games by finishing fifth in the World Championship 10km marathon swimming event in Kazan, Russia in 2015.

He was the first Team GB athlete to qualify for the Rio Olympics and was in medal contention throughout the nearly two-hour long race.

A furious Jack told BBC Sport shortly after the race: “The whole is thing a joke. I was disqualified two metres from the finish.

“My first yellow was coming down the straight back here and I was second, no one was either side of me and he pulls out a yellow card.

“I couldn’t have physically touched anyone and I got a yellow card.

“I shook my head at the guy. This is meant to be the pinnacle of our sport and there are referees who haven’t a clue what they are doing.”