TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The highest-ranked female swimmer in Taiwan, Angela Coe (韓安齊), was disqualified from the Paris Olympics on Friday (Aug. 2) for an illegal kick in the butterfly stroke. 

Coe, 19, was competing in the preliminaries of the women's 200-meter individual medley, per CNA. During the race, officials said the swimmer’s feet were not in sync for the butterfly segment, which is considered an illegal stroke pattern according to Olympic rules and regulations. 

Olympic officials convened to review the video after Coe’s race. "There was a video playback which confirmed that she had indeed broken the rules," Coe’s coach said. “Otherwise, given her condition today, I think she performed well.”

As a result, Coe’s results were canceled during the preliminaries. She initially finished second in the second of five heats, but even if she was not disqualified, she would not have placed in the top 16 to advance to the semifinals. 

Paris is Coe’s first time representing Taiwan in the Olympics. She studied in the U.S. and then returned to Taiwan this year to compete at the National Zhongzheng Cup Swimming Championships, where she broke records in the women’s 100 m butterfly and 100 m freestyle events.