Swimmer Alex Walsh Breaks Silence on Disqualification as She Says She's 'Still Proud' of Her Olympics Performance

Walsh had a third-place finish in the 200-meter individual medley, but was disqualified due to an illegal turn

Team USA swimmer Alex Walsh is speaking out for the first time after she lost out on a bronze medal following a disqualification during the 200-meter individual medley at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Walsh, 23, wrote on Instagram that she is "still proud" of herself despite the twist of fate, and that she'll be leaving Paris with her head held high.

"Thank you to everyone who has reached out and sent me such kind messages — I am so grateful to be surrounded by people who care so much!" she wrote in a post shared Tuesday, Aug. 6. "Despite the DQ, this Olympics has been an experience that has left me feeling happy and fulfilled, and I will cherish that forever."

The athlete wrote that she believes "everything happens for a reason," and she still has "so much more to be excited about" when it comes to her career as a competitive swimmer.

Walsh ended her message with a pink heart emoji, and signed the note, "With love, Alex."

Walsh placed third in the 200-meter on Aug. 3, but was ultimately disqualified after she made an illegal turn from backstroke to breaststroke.

That night, she opted not to speak with reporters, though her teammate Kate Douglass, who won the silver medal, said she was "heartbroken" for Walsh.

Related: Team USA Swimmer Alex Walsh Disqualified from 200-Meter Individual Medley After Bronze Medal Finish

"I feel like she deserved to be on the podium with me," Douglass, 22, told reporters, including PEOPLE, after the race. "When it comes to that, I feel like we have a fair share of mistakes and stuff and I don't know, it's just upsetting."

Walsh's sister Gretchen, who took home a gold medal the same night in the mixed 4x100-meter medley, told reporters that she, too, was upset by the news, which she first learned while in the middle of a warm-down.

"I was just stopped in the middle of the pool, like so upset," said Gretchen, who ultimately took home a gold medal in the mixed 4x100-meter medley. "I don't really know how to describe it, but yeah, I knew that I was gonna have to move on from that quickly in the moment and give her a big hug, tell her that I'm here for her and then go out and do this in her honor."

The bronze would have been the second medal for Walsh, who won silver in the 200-meter individual medley at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Related: Meet the 2(!) Sets of Sibling Duos Aiming for Gold at the Paris Olympics (Exclusive)

Upon posting on Instagram, Walsh was quickly met with support from her fellow Olympic swimmers, including gold medalist Abby Weitzeil.

"A true QUEEN 👸 QUEEN ALEX FOREVER. Love you so much miss u already 🩷🩷," Weitzeil commented.

Claire Weinstein, who won silver in Paris in the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay, commented, "Amazing swimmer amazing person."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.