Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard has been axed from the broadcaster's Olympics coverage over comments he made about Australian female swimmers following their gold medal victory.
The quartet of Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris would claim gold in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay in Paris on Saturday, the nation's fourth consecutive triumph in this event.
However, much of the conversation in the aftermath of the final related to comments made on the Eurosport broadcast of the event.
After Australia claimed gold, commentator Bob Ballard replied by making a remark about women doing their makeup.
Eurosport have now dropped Bob Ballard as swimming commentator following this sexist remark yesterday.
“Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their makeup.”
pic.twitter.com/UWYMiiVNpd— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 29, 2024
Well, the women just finishing up.
You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their makeup.
His co-commentator Lizzie Simmonds would label the comments as 'outrageous', with the remarks quickly going viral.
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Commentator Axed After Sexist Comments About Australia Olympic Swimmers
Eurosport would quickly move to remove Bob Ballard from their Olympics coverage as a result of these comments, releasing the following statement on the matter:
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.
Bob Ballard has been a staple in British Olympics coverage for a number of decades, working for the likes of the BBC and talkSPORT alongside Eurosport. He has covered various sports, including swimming, water polo, and diving.
Australia have been dominant in the pool in recent editions of the Olympics, with their prowess in this area helping to an early high position in the 2024 medal table. They currently sit in fourth place, having claimed four golds and two silvers, four of which came in swimming.
In winning gold in this event, Emma McKeon became Australia's most successful Olympic swimmer of all-time. This was her 12th medal and sixth gold, surpassing the mark previously set by Ian Thorpe.
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