Olympics commentator sacked after sexist remark towards Australian female swimmers

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).

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 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."

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.

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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."

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