- Viewers questioned why a Channel Nine presenter appeared to be ‘slouching’
- Some fans admitted their mistake in a TikTok video
Australian sports enthusiasts were left embarrassed after criticizing a Channel Nine commentator for allegedly ‘slouching throughout the entire Olympics’ – only to discover they had made a significant mistake.
The ‘laid-back’ personality in question is Dylan Alcott – regarded as the nation’s greatest Paralympian – who uses a wheelchair.
On TikTok, a supporter shared a photo of Alcott alongside Nine colleague Leila McKinnon, captioning it: ‘I just thought this presenter looked really comfortable and relaxed the entire time.’
She was shocked to learn that the ‘commentator who has been slouching throughout the Olympics’ is actually wheelchair-bound, admitting she had ‘no idea’ her observation was so mistaken.
It turns out this sports fan is not alone in her misunderstanding.
Another viewer responded to her post: ‘I’m not joking, the same thing happened to me… I told my dad, “Oh, he seems very relaxed and slouching in his chair”… my dad and partner were amazed I didn’t know who he [Alcott] was.’
A third person chimed in: ‘I thought the same, I thought, wow, he’s chill and seems really cool.’
At 33, Alcott is unlikely to take offense.
Australian sports fans were embarrassed after accusing a Channel Nine commentator (right) of ‘slouching throughout the Olympics’
The relaxed media personality was identified as Dylan Alcott, Australia’s greatest Paralympian, who uses a wheelchair
This sports fan admitted they believed Alcott was ‘relaxed and slouching in his chair’
Others questioned why Alcott’s chair seemed so low during his live television presentation
Alcott humorously told his Instagram followers that he has been ‘training my whole life for this moment’ when asked to cover the men’s 20km race walk in Paris
The celebrated athlete often jokes about himself and embraced the humor at the Games when he was invited to share his insight on the men’s 20km race walk.
‘It’s crucial to include the experts when broadcasting Olympic Race Walk,’ he wrote on Instagram alongside a video of him raising his eyebrows and resting his hands in his lap with a playful look.
Alcott further jested: ‘I’ve been training my whole life for this moment.’
Diagnosed with a tumor encasing his spinal cord at birth, Alcott became paraplegic following surgery to remove it.
He excelled as a wheelchair tennis player, securing multiple Grand Slam titles along with gold medals in the Paralympics.
Alcott’s impressive career also includes achieving a Golden Slam in 2021, where he clinched all four Grand Slam titles and the Paralympic gold medal within the same calendar year.
Prior to dominating the wheelchair tennis circuit, Alcott was part of the gold medal-winning Rollers basketball team at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.
