Brazillian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira was expelled from the Paris Olympics 2024 after she broke a crucial rule during her stay at the athletes' village in Paris. According to a Reuters report, Carolina Vieira sneaked out of the athletes' village to hang out with her boyfriend and another athlete, Gabriel Santos, at night.
The two left the village at night without clearing it with the team on Friday night before competing in the 4x100 meters freestyle relay with Brazil's team on Saturday, July 27. The team learned about her escape when she posted photos from the night out on social media.
Ana Carolina Vieira is a swimmer who was representing Brazil in Paris Olympics 2024. Earlier, she had represented her nation in the 2020 Summer Olympics. She has also participated in 2018 Summer Youth Olympics held in Buenos Aires. During the Youth Olympics, Vieira won a silver medal in the girls' 4x100 metre freestyle relay. Ana Carolina immediately rose to fame in her country after the achievement as it was the first time that a Brazil's women's relay won a medal in an international championship.
Vieira contested in the 4x100 freestyle heats and finished 12th in the heats. Whereas, Santos was eliminated in the men's 4x100 freestyle heats. Despite showing relatively better performance, the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) decided to send Vieira back home, whereas Santos was given a warning.
"The athlete Ana Carolina, in a disrespectful and aggressive manner, contested a technical decision made by the Brazilian National Swimming Team committee," Reuters quoted the Brazilian Olympic Committee as saying.
“As a result, Gabriel Santos was given a warning and Ana Carolina Vieira was dismissed from the delegation. She will return to Brazil immediately.”
"We're not here playing or taking a vacation," said Gustavo Otsuka, Brazil's swimming team leader. "We're here working for Brazil, for the 200 million taxpayers who are working for us."
"We can't play around here. She took a completely inappropriate position to make her point, her dismay, about the formation of the relay."
"It was during this period that we decided to take this situation to the disciplinary committee, discussed it and took the appropriate action. We ended up finding out through the posts," he said.
