Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira has been expelled from the Paris Olympics after sneaking out of the Olympic village with her boyfriend and fellow teammate Gabriel Santos to experience the Paris nightlife.
The 22-year-old, a member of the 4x100m freestyle relay team, competed on July 27 and finished 12th in the heats, while Santos was eliminated in the men’s 4×100 freestyle heats.
Why Was Ana Carolina Vieira Expelled From Paris Olympics 2024?
The incident occurred on the night before the race, July 26, when Vieira and Santos left the village without authorization. Upon discovering their actions, both athletes were reprimanded, but only Vieira was sent home.
The Brazilian Olympic Committee stated that Vieira’s behaviour was deemed inappropriate and that she allegedly mistreated the staff when confronted. Santos received a warning instead of a more severe punishment.
According to a report by The Mirror, the COB said – “The athlete Ana Carolina, in a disrespectful and aggressive manner, contested a technical decision made by the Brazilian National Swimming Team committee. As a result, Gabriel Santos was given a warning and Ana Carolina Vieira was dismissed from the delegation. She will return to Brazil immediately.”
Gustavo Otsuka, who is the head of Brazil’s swimming team, issued a statement on the grim matter stating, “We are not here playing or taking a vacation. We are here and working from Brazil.”
He added, “We’re here working for Brazil, for the 200 million taxpayers who are working for us. We can’t play around here. She took a completely inappropriate position to make her point, her dismay, about the formation of the relay.”
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Who is Ana Vieira?
Ana Carolina Vieira, a Brazilian swimmer born in 2001, represented her country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she placed 12th in the women’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay.
Recently, Vieira was sent home from the 2024 Paris Olympics following an incident. This isn’t the first time she’s faced controversy; in 2023, she had a conflict with fellow Brazilian swimmer Jhennifer Conceicao at the Trofeu Brasil competition, reportedly due to her “aggressive behavior.”
Following the Brazilian committee’s decision to dismiss her from the Paris Games, Vieira filed a harassment complaint, alleging mistreatment within the team. She has also announced plans to take legal action regarding her dismissal.
Speaking of the latest incident, Vieira in an Instagram video claimed she was sent to the airport without her belongings adding he did nothing wrong. She has filed a harassment complaint with the COB, which she alleges has been ignored.
In a now deleted video, Ana Carolina Vieira stated, “I left there and left my materials, I didn’t know what to do. My things are there [in the Olympic Village], I went to the airport in shorts. I had to open my suitcase at the airport. I’m in Portugal, I’m going to Recife and then to São Paulo.”
She added, “I am helpless, I have had no access to anything, I have not been able to speak to anyone. They told me to contact the COB channels. But how am I going to get in touch?”
She continued, “I have already filed a complaint of harassment and nothing has been resolved, harassment within the team. I will speak to my lawyers. I promise to tell everything. I am sad, nervous, but with a peace of mind because I know who I am, I know what my character and my nature are.”
