Controversy mars ending of women's 10 kilometer swim

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian swimmer Poliana Okimoto, who won the bronze medal in the 10-kilometer marathon swim following the disqualification of French swimmer Aurelie Muller, brushed aside any suggestion of home cooking in the decision and blasted Muller’s racing tactics in the process.

“It would have been much easier if she had just swam according to the rules,” Okimoto said through an interpreter. “There’s a lot of physical contact in this kind of race. There are many swimmers who are ‘dirty.’ If she had just swam, she would have gotten the bronze. It’s an example of what can happen when you don’t swim by the rules. The attitude she displayed was completely anti-sportive.”

Sharon Van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands won the race by 17.4 seconds officially, but behind her there was quite a scramble at the finish for the silver and bronze medals. Officials ruled that Muller had made illegal contact with Italy’s Rachele Bruni near the finish.

Thierry Braillard, the sports minister for France, tweeted: “La disqualification d’@Aure_Muller comme une grande injustice.”

Bruni, however, said the decision was justified and that she would have finished second had Muller not illegally gone over the top of her to prevent her from touching the finishing wall.

“She pushed my arm down at the finish,” she said.

French media reports have already begun to circulate hinting that the decision might have to do with giving the host country another medal. Okimoto, however, refused to apologize for getting it by disqualification.

“I felt very good actually when I came out fourth,” she said. “I wasn’t frustrated but fourth isn’t very rewarding. I did all I could, and this was the best competition in my life. I left the last drop of sweat I had in the sea. When I heard I was third, I was very moved because winning a medal in Brazil was a dream come true.”