Swimmer Luana Alonso Kicked Out of Olympic Village for ‘Inappropriate’ Actions
Swimmer Luana Alonso Kicked Out of Olympic Village for ‘Inappropriate’ Actions
GettyLuana Alonso reacts after a race.
Swimmer Luana Alonso saw an early end to her trip to the Paris Olympics, then got kicked out of the Olympic Village for what he country called “inappropriate” actions.
The Paraguayan swimmer was asked to leave the quarters set up for athletes after her country’s Olympic committee said she created a distraction.
“Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay,” Paraguayan Olympic Committee head Larissa Schaerer said in a statement, via the Sun.
“We thank her for proceeding as instructed, as it was of her own free will that she did not spend the night in the Athletes’ Village.”
Afterward, Alonso signaled that her swimming career would be coming to an end as well.
Report Sheds Light on ‘Inappropriate’ Actions
Alonso’s time competing at the Paris Olympics had already come to an end by the time she was kicked out of the Olympic village. The 20-year-old, who also competed at the Tokyo Olympics at age 17, failed to advance to the semifinals in the women’s 100m butterfly and had no other races. The women’s swimming competition has since come to an end.
The Daily Mail reported that Alonso had broken her country’s rules in the Olympic Village, including wearing “her own choice of outfits” rather than the official kit provided by her country. She was also seen socializing with other athletes and “was said to be distracting her teammates still competing,” the report noted.
Alonso also traveled outside the Olympic Village, visiting a high-end boutique in France and restaurants and posting photos on social media. The swimmer also made a trip to Disneyland Paris.
The report noted that Alonso was asked to move out of the Olympic Village and into a hotel, though she was still able to stay and cheer on her teammates.
Luana Alonso Calls It a Career
As the Sun noted, Alonso took to her Instagram page to announce that she was retiring from swimming. Alonso said she had bittersweet feelings as she said goodbye to the sport.
“I am very emotional because it was my last race. I am retiring from swimming,” Alonso wrote.
“I have been swimming for so long, 18 years, and I have so many feelings. Unfortunately, I made the decision to stop and I am happy that my last race will be at the Olympic Games.”
Alonso added that she had made her decision a long time ago and it was not a result of anything that took place at the Paris Olympics.
“So nothing, I just have to thank everyone who always supported me,” she wrote.
Alonso appeared to harbor no ill feelings about her time at the Paris Olympics, saying in her retirement announcement that she was happy for all of her experiences in swimming.
“I gave you part of my life and I wouldn’t change that for anything in the world because I lived the best experiences of my life, you gave me thousands of joys, friends from other countries that I will always carry in my heart, unique opportunities. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
