Paraguayan Olympic swimmer Luana Alonso responded to allegations from her country that she was expelled from the Olympic village last year for causing an “inappropriate environment,” calling these claims lies and “fake rumors.”
At 21, Alonso competed in the women’s 100m butterfly event during the summer Olympics in 2024 but did not advance to the semi-finals.
While in France, she faced accusations of creating an “inappropriate atmosphere,” leading the Paraguayan Olympic Committee to remove her from the company of other athletes.
According to reports, Alonso had been dealing with this situation for almost a year. In an Instagram story posted on Wednesday, she clarified, “Let this be clear: I left the Olympic village myself.”
Reports indicated that she left after her fellow athletes experienced difficulties in their heat race, and instead of supporting them, she opted for a day trip to Disneyland Paris, which reportedly frustrated Olympic officials.
She shared pictures during her Disneyland trip, complete with Mickey Mouse ears and champagne in hand.
Larissa Scheerer, the head of Paraguay’s Olympic Committee, commented on the matter: “Her presence creates an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay.”
Alonso refuted these claims, stating, “The Paraguay Olympic team said I had ‘created an inappropriate environment’ simply because I chose not to swim anymore. They tried to revoke my accreditation, but they had no right to do that. I chose not to hand it over, and apparently that made it ‘inappropriate’ for them.”
She noted that her choice of attire, which included “skinny clothes,” along with her interactions with fellow athletes, had garnered attention as distractions during her time in the Olympic village.
Before the Games began, she made headlines by unveiling a new tattoo featuring five Olympic rings on her lower back.
After her departure from the Olympic village, Alonso reportedly settled into a hotel in Paris and indulged in shopping and dining experiences.
A graduate of Southern Methodist University, she claimed that Paraguayan swimming officials had encouraged her to compete in the upcoming Pan American Junior Games set for August in Asuncion.
“If I had received basic respect, I probably wouldn’t have stepped in,” she remarked.
Alonso mentioned that she had always given her best for her country, but her attempts to advocate for herself were perceived as problematic.
The two-time Olympian hinted at potentially pursuing legal action against media outlets for disseminating false information regarding her expulsion from the Olympic village. “I take legal action against magazines and the media seriously. They’re spreading false rumors about my expulsion. Really? Who makes up this nonsense?”
She also suggested that she might release a video to elaborate on her perspective, stating, “I decided to keep my life under control because this (lie) severely affects my life.”
Although she initially announced her retirement from competitive swimming shortly after the Olympics, she quickly resumed training a few weeks later.
In May, she returned to the pool, hinting with a mysterious message that she hadn’t ruled out future competitions, including the Olympics. “Next year I’ll be back,” she told a fan, adding uncertainty about her return to competitive swimming.
