World Championships: Erika Fairweather Disqualified in 400 Free
The women’s 400 freestyle at the 2025 World Championships was diminished coming in by the absence of Ariarne Titmus. It took a blow by Claire Weinstein scratching the final, presumably due to illness.
And a thin final got thinner when Erika Fairweather was disqualified in prelims on Sunday in Singapore.
Fairweather swam in the penultimate heat of four. She finished fourth in the heat in 4:03.39, but was disqualified for what the international broadcast said was a move on the start.
Fairweather’s time would’ve been good for sixth place and a lane in the final.
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The New Zealand swimmer is the reigning world champion, having gone 3:59.44 to win the event in Doha in 2024. That swim made her the fifth-fastest performer all-time, and she is just one of six female swimmers to break four minutes.
Fairweather won bronze in this event at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, her maiden voyage under four minutes. Titmus won the event, with Katie Ledecky second and McIntosh in fourth.
Fairweather made the Olympic final in Paris last year, finishing fourth. Titmus won gold, McIntosh took silver and Fairweather was fourth in 4:01.12, .26 seconds behind Ledecky for bronze.
