On Saturday, comments made by a European Olympic announcer about the Australian women’s swimming team cost him his place in the Paris Games.
Bob Ballard, covering the Paris Summer Olympics for Eurosport, spoke about “what women are like” about the Australian team after they won the 4x100m freestyle.
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Australian team members Emma McKeown, Shayna Jack, Molly O’Callaghan and Meg Harris celebrate after winning gold in the women’s 4x100m freestyle at the Paris Olympic Games at Paris-La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France on July 27, 2024. (Xavier Laing/Getty Images)
“The ladies just got their makeup done. You know what it’s like for women to hang out and put on makeup,” Ballard said. New York Post.
Ballard’s commentary team partner, Lizzy Simmons, called his comments “outrageous.” Until the deadline.
Eurosport subsequently dropped Ballard from its Olympic coverage.
“During last night’s Eurosport broadcast, commentator Bob Ballard made inappropriate comments,” the company said in a statement, reported The Independent. “As a result, he has been removed from our pundit roster with immediate effect.”
Australia’s Molly O’Callaghan prepares to compete in the women’s 200m freestyle event on the second day of the Paris Olympic Games at Paris-La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France on July 28, 2024. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
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Ballard did not immediately comment on the controversy.
He was a mainstay of Olympic coverage for several years and was also a freelance announcer for the BBC.
Australia’s relay team of Emma McKeown, Shayna Jack, Molly O’Callaghan and Meg Harris beat the United States and China to win gold in the 4 x 100m relay on Saturday, setting an Olympic record of 3 minutes 28.92 seconds.
Molly O’Callaghan of Team Australia prepares to compete in the women’s 200m freestyle event on the second day of the Paris Olympic Games at Paris-La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France on July 28, 2024. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
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The American team consisted of Kate Douglas, Gretchen Walsh, Tori Huske and Simone Manuel, while the Chinese team consisted of Yang Junxuan, Chen Yujie, Zhang Yufei and Wu Qingfeng.
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