Veteran sports commentator sacked from Olympics role after sexist remark about Australian female swimmers
A veteran sports commentator has been removed from his role at the Olympics after making a sexist remark about Australian female swimmers following their gold medal win in the 4x100m freestyle relay event in Paris.
Bob Ballard, a long-time BBC reporter and presenter, sparked outrage when he commented that the women were “finishing up” and joked about them “hanging around, doing their make-up” as they celebrated their victory. His co-commentator, British swimming champion Lizzie Simmonds, immediately called out his remark as “outrageous”.
The clip of Ballard’s comment quickly went viral, leading broadcaster Eurosport to take action and announce that he would not be returning to their commentary roster. In a statement, Eurosport said, “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 later issued an apology, stating that it was not his intention to offend or belittle anyone. He also urged viewers not to attack his co-commentator, Lizzie Simmonds, who had been criticized online for her reaction to his remark.
The Australian female swimmers, Mollie O’Callaghan, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris, and Shayna Jack, had just secured the gold medal by beating the US and China, marking the fourth consecutive Olympics where Australia has claimed victory in the event. Swimming Australia has been approached for comment on the incident.
Bob Ballard has been a prominent figure in sports commentary since the 1980s, covering various Olympic games and World Championships. He is best known for his coverage of swimming and diving, as well as other sports such as water polo, ice hockey, and wheelchair tennis.
