Olympics commentator speaks out after being sacked over sexist remark towards Australian female swimmers
Eurosport removed Bob Ballard from its Olympics commentary team at Paris 2024 after he made a sexist remark about Australia’s female swimmers.
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 gold medals on Saturday (27 July).
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.”
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Ballard’s co-commentator Lizzie Simmonds laughed at the comment, calling it 'outrageous'.
Setting women's sports back. Bob Ballard:
— A Gooners View (@AGoonersThought) July 29, 2024
(video from:thelifeoflyds - TikTok) pic.twitter.com/6SABGUTpfc
Eurosport has since released a statement, which reads: "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."
Responding to the sacking, Ballard has now wrote on X: "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 apologies.
"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."
Meanwhile, 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."
Her pop star boyfriend Cody Simpson said: "We are all proud of her.
"She'll be so humble about it. She'll never say it herself, but it's pretty special what she's done.
"It's unreal. She had a blistering swim this morning - she really wanted to be in that final and get on that podium.
"I'm so proud of her for getting that done."
Team GB's current medal count - 8
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
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
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Individual eventing
Anish Vij