Olympics commentator sacked after sexist remark towards female swimmers hits back at ‘massive overreaction’
Fired Olympic commentator Bob Ballard has hit back at what he's calling a 'massive overreaction' to the sexist comment he made.
Ballard was sacked by Eurosport after making a sexist remark about Australia's female swimmers after their Olympic gold medal win.
His comment came after the Australian women took part in the 4x100m freestyle, as the likes of Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris took home winners medals on Saturday (27 July).
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After the win, the former BBC commentator said: “Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like… hanging around, doing their make-up.”
Ballard’s co-commentator Lizzie Simmonds laughed at the remark, calling it 'outrageous'.
Eurosport later released a statement, which read: "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."
Ballard has since broken his silence over what happened.
Writing on social media earlier in the week, he said: "The comments I made during the Australian freestyle relay victory ceremony on Saturday have caused some offence.
"It was never my intention to upset or belittle anyone and, if I did, I apologise. I am a massive advocate of women’s sport.
"I shall miss the Eurosport team, dearly and wish them all the best for the rest of the Olympics.
"P.s. Don’t pile in on @LizzieSimmonds1 - please! She has nothing to do with this."
Setting women's sports back. Bob Ballard:
— A Gooners View (@AGoonersThought) July 29, 2024
(video from:thelifeoflyds - TikTok) pic.twitter.com/6SABGUTpfc
However, speaking to LBC this afternoon (30 July), he said: "I am overwhelmed by the reaction I’ve had from the British public.
"It was a throwaway line - some people might say it’s a bit old-fashioned but it was never meant to offend.
"It was never meant to upset everybody and I think there’s been a massive overreaction from my employers.
"I’m dealing with it as best I can right now."
Australia won a fourth consecutive gold in the event with a time of 3:28.92, with McKeon wining a sixth gold medal to become the country’s most decorated Olympian.
"I tried not to think about it too much before... Just emotional," McKeon - who intends to now retire from the Olympics - told Nine.
After a sixth-place finish in the 100m butterfly final in Paris, she added: "I definitely hoped that that would've been better, but I know I've got a lot to be proud of and I think it's always going to be emotional finishing something that has brought me so much joy and so many great relationships and so many life lessons.
"I've got so many fond memories of swimming ... I just feel privileged to be here ... this is my fifth time out here already and it's only day two. I feel so lucky.
"So I am looking forward to the time when I can really look back on it all. I've already got so many great people around me that have already been through similar things, like my brother, who finished up swimming about three or four years ago.
"I've got a lot of people to support me."
Team GB's current medal count - 11
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
- Nathan Hales: Shooting - Men's trap
Silver medallists
- Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Tom Daley and Noah Williams: Diving - Men's synchronised 10m platform
- Adam Burgess: Canoe Slalom - Men's canoe single
- Matthew Richards: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Eventing individual
Lucy Devine