By Joiner Martinez
29 Jul 2024, 17:44 PM EDT
Ana Carolina Vieira, a swimmer on the Brazilian Olympic team, was expelled from the Brazilian delegation after leaving the Olympic Village to meet her partner, fellow swimmer Gabriel Santos.
The incident occurred on the night of the Olympic opening ceremony, when the two were caught returning to the venue.
The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) questioned Vieira about her exit, and she responded in an insulting and defiant manner, leading to her immediate expulsion and return to Brazil. The COB described her behavior as “disrespectful and aggressively defiant.”
Gabriel Santos, who had been eliminated in the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay, received a warning for his role in the incident but was allowed to continue in the competition after apologizing for breaking the rules.
Vieira and Santos, who are part of Esporte Clube Pinheiros, a prominent Brazilian club at the Paris Olympics, offered their version of events in a statement. They explained that they had inquired about the possibility of visiting the Eiffel Tower using the official transport provided by the Olympic organisation. Although they used the logistics provided, they admitted their mistake in not properly reporting their departure according to the rules of the Safe Sport Guide.
🚨 The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) received this Saturday, 27, a statement from the Chef of the Brazilian Swimming Team, Gustavo Otsuka, with information that the swimmers Ana Carolina Vieira and Gabriel Santos committed acts of indiscipline.
Com isso, de comum acordo com os… pic.twitter.com/B3ljl5rAek
— Piu Esportes (@piuesportes) July 28, 2024
“We made the mistake of not communicating in the proper manner required by the Safe Sport Guide, for which we were warned. We did not communicate because, despite being outside the Village, all the logistics of the trip were carried out through the means provided by the organization,” they explained.
They also defended their professionalism and personal relationship, stating that they have always managed to keep both aspects separate. “We have been living together for more than 3 years, these are our second Olympic Games together, we are part of the same club, we have always kept our personal and professional aspects very separate, and everyone who knows us and lives with us knows this very well,” they concluded.
The Brazilian Aquatic Sports Confederation (CBDA) issued a statement announcing sanctions for both athletes for leaving the Olympic Village without permission. “In addition to this fact, the athlete Ana Carolina, in a disrespectful and aggressive manner, challenged the technical decision made by the Brazilian Swimming Team committee, for which she was sanctioned with the expulsion of the delegation and will return to Brazil immediately,” the statement said.
Finally, Brazilian swimming team boss Gustavo Otsuka told Reuters: “We are here to work for Brazil, not to take a vacation. We have a responsibility to the 200 million taxpayers who rely on us. We cannot afford to play around.”
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