A British Olympic swimming commentator has been dismissed by broadcaster Eurosport after facing widespread backlash for a sexist comment directed at Australia’s women’s freestyle relay team.
Bob Ballard, a veteran commentator with experience spanning seven Olympic Games, made the controversial remark while commentating for Eurosport during the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay event. The Australian team, consisting of Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, Mollie O’Callaghan, and Meg Harris, secured gold for the fourth consecutive time.
As the team exited the Paris Aquatic Centre following their race and medal ceremony, Ballard quipped, “Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like… hanging around, doing their makeup.”
Lizzie Simmonds, Ballard’s co-commentator and a former Great Britain backstroke swimmer who competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, immediately condemned the comment as “outrageous.”
The backlash was swift, leading Eurosport to remove Ballard from its coverage of the heats on Sunday evening (AEST) and permanently terminate his contract. In a statement, the network said, “During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment. To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”
Social media reactions to Ballard’s comment and subsequent sacking have been divided. Some have told Ballard to “hang [his] head in shame,” while others believe the termination was excessive, criticizing the network for lacking humor.
The Australian relay team set a new Olympic record with their gold medal-winning time of 3:28.92, finishing ahead of Team USA and China, who claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
Ballard has yet to publicly comment on his dismissal.
This incident recalls a similar controversy involving tennis commentator Doug Adler, who was sacked by ESPN during the 2017 Australian Open for an alleged racist remark about Venus Williams. Adler claimed he was referring to “guerrilla” tactics and not making a racist comment, later suing the network.
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