Eurosport, the broadcaster for the Olympics, has relieved Bob Ballard from his commentary duties for Paris 2024 following a sexist comment he made regarding Australia’s female swimmers.
This incident occurred after the Australian women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, consisting of Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon, and Meg Harris, secured a gold medal on Saturday night. In a social media clip that gained significant attention, Ballard remarked: “Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their make-up.”
Lizzie Simmonds, Ballard’s co-commentator, labeled the comment as “outrageous”.
The broadcaster issued a statement that read: “During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment. As a result, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”
Ballard has not yet made a public statement regarding his comment.
Australia achieved a remarkable fourth consecutive gold in the event with a time of 3min 28.92sec, while McKeon earned her sixth gold medal, becoming the most decorated Olympian in the country’s history.
