A surfing judge in Tahiti was removed from the Olympics this week after a photo of him alongside a competitor went viral.
Australian judge Benjamin Lowe, Australian surfing team member Ethan Ewing and coach Bede Durbidge posed for a group photo on a break from competition during the competition, which attracted attention.
The International Surfing Association said in a statement on Thursday that it had removed Rowe from the judging panel for the remaining events “to protect the fairness and impartiality of the ongoing competition.”
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The entrance to the Olympic surfing venue ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Te Aupō, French Polynesia, on July 24, 2024. (Sean M. Hafey/Getty Images)
“The ISA A photo going viral on social media “One of the Australian Olympic surfing judges was observed engaging in social interactions with an Australian athlete and team manager,” the ISA said in a statement. “It is inappropriate for an official to engage in this type of interaction with an athlete or team.”
The decision was made in accordance with the ISA’s Code of Conduct and the International Olympic Committee’s Code of Ethics.
The surfing federation said it had “contacted all judges and teams to remind them of their responsibilities regarding appropriate conduct.”
A buoy in the competition arena during the third round of surfing on day three of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Teaaupo, French Polynesia, on July 29, 2024. (Sean M. Hafey/Getty Images)
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“There’s been some flak online, but I have no knowledge or insight into this incident,” Ewing told Stub Magazine after Rowe’s departure.
“It’s certainly sad.”
Ewing lost in the quarter-finals to Australian Jack Robinson, 15.33 to 13.00.
The Athletes’ Village on the second day of training for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Teaaupo, French Polynesia, on July 22, 2024. (Ed Sloan/Getty Images)
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The surfing competition will take place in Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia about 3,000 miles east of Australia and 10,000 miles from Paris.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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