The women's 200m backstroke heats at SEA Games 33, held yesterday morning at the Huamark Aquatic Center within the Huamark Sports Complex in Bangkok, Thailand, were marred by a significant error: incorrectly placed backstroke flags. This misplacement caused several swimmers to misjudge their turns and hit their heads on the pool wall.

Backstroke flags are crucial for swimmers in this event, as their face-up position prevents them from seeing what is ahead. These flags, typically small triangles attached to a rope stretched across the pool, signal an approaching turn or the finish line. Standard practice dictates placing them 5 meters from each end of the pool, allowing athletes to precisely time their strokes and execute turns.

However, during the two heats of the women's 200m backstroke, the flags positioned at the pool wall opposite the start and finish lines were placed closer than the standard 5 meters. This deviation led to confusion and miscalculation among the competitors. Spectator Chousa Mahasaen commented on the Young Shark fanpage, which specializes in updates on Thai swimming and sports, "They hit the pool wall two times when turning, making a loud noise."

Thai swimmer Mia Millar points to the flag placement after completing the women's 200m backstroke event. *Screenshot*.

Following the second heat, several swimmers, including Mia Millar, Kanistha Tungnapakorn (Thailand), Adelia Chantika (Indonesia), and Vivivan Xin Ling Tee (Malaysia), reacted visibly, gesturing to indicate an issue with the flag placement. Their performances were notably affected, as all finished under 2 minutes 22 seconds.

The women's 200m backstroke heats initially featured 9 athletes, with the fastest 8 set to advance to the final. After confirming the error, the organizing committee decided against re-running the heats. Instead, all 9 athletes were allowed to proceed to the final. This unusual solution was feasible as the SEA Games 33 pool has 10 lanes, numbered from 0 to 9, providing ample space.

Swimmer Mia Millar won the gold medal in the women's 200m backstroke at SEA Games 33. *Hieu Luong*.

The flag placement error was corrected for the final, held later that evening. 18-year-old swimmer Mia Millar delivered an exceptional performance, finishing first with a time of 2 minutes 13,95 seconds. This was nearly 10 seconds faster than her heat time, breaking a National record and securing a gold medal for Thailand after 22 years.

Meanwhile, Xiandi Chua (Philippines), the SEA Games record holder for the event with 2 minutes 13,20 seconds, finished second with a time of 2 minutes 15,73 seconds. Indonesian swimmer Chantika secured the bronze medal with 2 minutes 16,39 seconds.

In swimming at SEA Games 33, 19 out of 38 gold medals have been awarded so far. Singapore leads with 7 gold medals, followed by Vietnam (5), Indonesia (3), Philippines, and Thailand (2).

Hieu Luong