Eurosport has sacked Bob Ballard from its commentary team for the Olympics over a sexist comment about Australia’s swimming gold medallists.
The first night of action in the pool was headlined by the 4x100m freestyle relay finals, with the women’s race taking place before the men.
Mollie O’Callaghan, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris and Shayna Jack secured Australia’s fourth straight gold medal in the women’s race and were pictured celebrating as they made their way around the pool.
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“Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like… hanging around, doing their make-up,” Ballard said.
The comment immediately backfired with Ballard’s female co-commentator, the British swimming champion Lizzie Simmonds, branding his remark “outrageous”.
Criticism began to mount on social media but Ballard posted on social media about returning for the start of Sunday’s action in Paris, only for Eurosport to take action during the day.
“During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
“To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”
Ballard has not commented on the decision but offered support to his former colleagues on social media after he had been sacked.
“Have a great one,” he replied to a Eurosport preview of Sunday night’s finals (Monday morning AEST).
Ballard and Simmonds appeared in good spirits when he posted a poolside video update before the heats on Sunday.
“Lizzie Simmonds is working so hard alongside me with all the prep and all the data and all the stats,” he said, showing his co-commentator smiling and waving.
“She’ll show me up, of course, as the next couple of hours we go live.”
