Winter Olympics 2022: ‘I’ve never done that’ – Farrell Treacy stops a lap early in awkward gaffe

Published 05/02/2022 at 14:28 GMT

“A big error. I’ve never done that before so to do it on the biggest stage is obviously heartbreaking,” said Farrell Treacy after his howler at Beijing 2022. It was a dismal day for Team GB in the short track speed skating as Farrell’s brother Niall and Kathryn Thomson both crashed out, evoking memories of Elise Christie’s heartbreak at the Olympics.

Watch astonishing moment GB's Treacy thinks race is over a lap early

Britain’s Farrell Treacy dropped a clanger on his Olympic debut after accidentally stopping one lap early in his 1000m short track heat at Beijing 2022.

With only the top two guaranteed a quarter-final spot, Treacy was trapped on the inside in third as he approached the final lap.

But instead of going for broke, the 26-year-old inexplicably eased up and allowed his three rivals to break clear.

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"I don't know what I heard in the stands but I thought there was a lap to go and then I went to the line a lap early,” he said.

“A big error. I’ve never done that before so to do it on the biggest stage is obviously heartbreaking.

"It’s never happened before so to happen at the Olympic Games is not fantastic.

“I don’t know if it’s a massive lapse of judgement or there was something that I heard - but even the bell came quite late. Normally it comes as you’re coming out of the corner. But that’s on me."

Treacy's build-up to Beijing was far from ideal after having an enforced 10 days of isolation due to a positive Covid case - and was only given the green light at the eleventh hour after China lowered the negative threshold of PCR tests.

His brother Niall fared no better after crashing out of his heat in the same event, while compatriot

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