Ladbible X Whatsapp
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Olympics commentator sacked after sexist remark towards Australian female swimmers

Home> News> Sport

Updated 14:35 29 Jul 2024 GMT+1Published 08:31 29 Jul 2024 GMT+1

Olympics commentator sacked after sexist remark towards Australian female swimmers

Eurosport has sacked Olympics commentator Bob Ballard

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

Sports commentator Bob Ballard has been sacked by Eurosport after making a sexist remark about Australia's female swimmers after their Olympic gold medal win.

We're just days into the Paris 2024 Olympics and a lot has happened already - from the 'blue scrotum' performing at the opening ceremony to the bizarre 'cap catcher' making an appearance.

And perhaps one of the most controversial moments has come from Ballard.

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).

Advert



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'.

Advert

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."

Ballard has been sacked by Eurosport. (X)
Ballard has been sacked by Eurosport. (X)

The veteran commentator has been covering sports since the 1980s and has reported on multiple Olympic Games and World Championships.

Ballard is yet to comment publicly on the sacking.

Advert

READ MORE:

REASON OLYMPIC ATHLETES BITE THEIR MEDALS AFTER WINNING

OLYMPICS SWIMMING VIEWERS IN STITCHES OVER 'CAP CATCHER'

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.

Advert

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.

Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan, Shayna Jack (second left), Meg Harris (right) and Emma McKeon (left). (PA)
Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan, Shayna Jack (second left), Meg Harris (right) and Emma McKeon (left). (PA)

"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."

Advert

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."

LADbible has contacted Bob Ballard for comment.

Team GB medal count - 4

Silver medalists


  • Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
  • Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke

Bronze medalists


  • Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
  • Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
Featured Image Credit: X/MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images

Topics: Sport, Olympics

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

13 hours ago
14 hours ago
  • 13 hours ago

    Doctor shows how much medicine costs in the US compared to the UK and Australia with shocking results

    Not all healthcare systems were created equal

    News
  • 13 hours ago

    Grim searches prosecutors say alleged killer made before he 'poisoned wife's protein shakes'

    Jurors will also be shown a video of the two arguing shortly before her death

    News
  • 14 hours ago

    Police preparing for 'Trump visit to UK' as protesters vow an ‘even bigger’ response than last time he came

    The US president is unlikely to get a warm welcome

    News
  • 14 hours ago

    People raise concerns over worrying 'food noise' after using Mounjaro weight loss jabs

    Experts have revealed how to stop food noise with Mounjaro

    News
  • Secret New Balance voucher code to get discounts of up to £90 on trainers
  • People are worried about surfers at 2024 Olympics after seeing what they must do this year
  • Viewers are not impressed by Paris Olympics opening ceremony as they brand it ‘worst ever’
  • Reason why some country's boats have much smaller groups of athletes during Paris Olympics opening ceremony parade