The disqualification in the women’s 200-meter individual medley at the 2024 Paris Olympics devastated Alex Walsh, a Team USA swimmer who had won a bronze medal.

After making an illegal transition from backstroke to breaststroke, Walsh, 23, finished third in the event behind Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh and American teammate Kate Douglass.

Walsh would have received his second medal, having earned silver in the 200-meter individual medley in the Tokyo Games in 2021.

“I was just really heartbroken for her,” Douglass, 22, told reporters, including people following the event. “I feel like she deserved to be on the podium with me.”

Douglass stated that she had not yet spoken with Walsh, but she was dissatisfied with the outcome of the matter.

“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,” she told me.

Walsh’s sister Gretchen, who also participates in Team USA, told reporters that she was watching her brother’s race and was in the middle of a warm-up when she heard the news.

Gretchen, who went on to win gold in the mixed 4×100-meter medley, described herself as “just stopped in the middle of the pool, like so upset.” “I don’t know how to describe it, but yeah, I knew that I was going to have to move on from that quickly at 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.”

Gretchen’s gold medal was her third of the Olympics; she had won two silver medals in Paris, for the women’s 100-meter butterfly and the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

Walsh previously told PEOPLE about the bittersweet experience of making it to Tokyo while Gretchen did not, as she just missed qualifying three years earlier.

“It was like a split house: happy for me, but gutted for Gretchen,” she stated. “My parents struggled.”

Gretchen noted that the two sisters are “best friends,” unconditionally supporting one another despite their opposing personalities.

“We’re both dedicated and hardworking,” Gretchen stated. “We push each other to new heights.”

Gretchen is studying finance and minoring in math at the University of Virginia, while Alex is studying computer science with a psychology minor.

“Having each other to talk to is great,” Alex said. “We make each other laugh a lot. So, it’s good to have someone who will brighten your day.