Olympic swimmer engulfed in ‘inappropriate' behaviour accusations makes fiery statement
The Paraguayan swimmer who reportedly was booted out of the Olympic Village during last year's Summer Games has fired back at 'false rumours' surrounding her departure from Paris.
Alonso posted a fiery statement on her Instagram stories this week, hitting out at the reports that she was removed for creating an 'inappropriate atmosphere.'
'Let me make this clear: I left the Olympic Village on my own,' she wrote on Wednesday. 'These are false rumours that have hurt my name and my career.'
Alonso ignited a firestorm at the Games last summer, going viral for alleged behaviour behind the scenes at the village.
The 21-year-old swimmer competed for Paraguay in the women's 100-metre butterfly, but failed to reach the semifinals – and then seemingly announced her abrupt retirement from the sport in a post on Instagram.
But instead of heading home, Alonso stayed in the French capital to see the sights – which were well-documented on her social media account – before reportedly got her booted by her country's Olympic committee for creating an 'inappropriate atmosphere.'
'Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay,' Larissa Schaerer, the head of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee (COP), said in a statement at the time.
But, 11 months later, Alonso is now firing back at the accusations.
'The Paraguayan Olympic team claimed I created an 'inappropriate environment' simply because I decided I didn't want to swim anymore,' she said. 'They tried to take my accreditation away, but that's not something they had the right to do. I chose not to hand it over and apparently that was 'inappropriate' to them.'
The Daily Mail also reported that Alonso was accused of being a distraction to her fellow competitors with her socializing and attire.
She was often seen sporting stylish outfits as opposed to team uniforms and opted to take a trip to Disneyland Paris instead of cheering on her compatriots.
'I was judged for wearing skinny clothes, for socializing, and for not conforming,' she added. 'That's not inappropriate — that's being a young adult.
'I had finished racing. I was no longer obligated to stay. If others saw that as disrespectful, that's on them.'
Alonso reportedly checked into a Parisian hotel after leaving the Olympic Village, and visited high-end stores and restaurants.
But despite the contentious nature between herself and her country's Olympic committee, the Southern Methodist University alum claims she was asked by Paraguayan swimming officials to return to the pool for the Pan American Junior Games, which are being held in the country's capital, Asunción, this August.
'If I had been treated like a human being, maybe I would have stayed,' she said. 'But they made me feel like a problem.'
Olympian kicked out of village for 'inappropriate behaviour' teases return to pool
Ex-Playboy model reveals 'painful' divorce from Olympic star Ryan Lochte
It's not only the COP that Alonso has in her crosshairs, either. The two-time Olympian also threatened legal action against media outlets that are spreading the 'false rumours' about her.
'I'm seriously considering legal action against the magazines and media outlets spreading false rumours like that I was expelled from the Olympic Village. Really? Who came up with that nonsense? Well that it's not true,' she wrote.
She also teased that she would be releasing a video to better explain her thinking.
'Seriously (these) lies are wild and affecting my life and that's why I decided I'm keeping my life lowkey,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
30 minutes ago
- Fox News
Sydney Sweeney rocks blue jeans as she breaks social media silence after American Eagle ad controversy
Sydney Sweeney made a denim-clad return to social media three weeks after the release of her controversial American Eagle "Good Jeans" ad campaign. On Friday, the 27-year-old actress, who has not publicly commented on the ad or its mixed reception, shared a carousel of photos on Instagram in which she was seen rocking a pair of oversized blue jeans and a white lace-front crop top while spending a night out at a bar with friends. "duval diaries." Sweeney wrote in the caption. In one photo, Sweeney was seen kicking her leg up as she posed with a group of friends, who also wore denim or blue and white ensembles. Sweeney and a friend appeared to be performing karaoke as they stood back to back on a stage while holding microphones in another snap. In another image, Sweeney was seen holding a tray of drinks while surrounded by a group of friends as they beamed at the camera. Other snaps featured "The White Lotus" actress dancing with her friends at the crowded venue. American Eagle debuted their ad campaign titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" last month, which received a divided response on social media. Some dubbed the campaign "tone-deaf" due to alleged racial undertones, others have praised Sweeney for killing "woke" advertising. In a promo video posted to the brand's Instagram, Sweeney was seen walking toward an AE billboard featuring her and the tagline "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes." Sweeney crossed out "Genes" and replaced it with "Jeans" before walking away. In a second ad, Sweeney was seen laying down and fastening her jeans while saying, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color." The camera then panned up to her blue eyes, and she said "My jeans are blue." The ad's detractors have suggested that it has shades of "eugenics" and "White supremacy." According to Salon, the term "great genes" was historically used to "celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness." American Eagle released a statement on its social media on Aug. 1, which read, "'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone." While speaking with Fox News Digital, Reputation Management Consultants CEO Eric Schiffer explained how controversy could potentially turbocharge the actress' career along with her net worth. "The AE firestorm shoved Sweeney into toxic culture-war crosshairs — exactly where attention monetizes fastest," he said. "Backlash may spook a few 'safe' brands, but risk-tolerant studios will ruthlessly overpay for her heat. "American Eagle's denim blitz could jam an outrage cocktail of $5 million more in Sweeney's wallet before Labor Day. The viral jeans spot is a ruthless napalm-grade cash cannon — every click fires fresh royalty checks at her $40 million pile. Critics rant, but controversy drives denim sales — she's riding a volatile tornado straight to the bank." Schiffer also explained that the backlash the actress has received could lead to an influx of career opportunities for her. "Outrage addicts labeled the ad 'eugenics' but Hollywood execs smell radioactive buzz and cast her faster," he said. "Hollywood forgives denim puns; it rewards controversial cash." Schiffer continued, "She proved she can take heat and directors love an actress with fierce armor. Her blend of bombshell and backlash is near lethal catnip for producers. Hollywood loves a polarizing star with a merciless marketing punch that sells." However, PR expert Steve Honig voiced his opinion that the backlash was unlikely to affect Sweeney's career. "Regardless of which side you are on, the ads have undeniably gotten the actress, and the company, more attention and publicity than they have ever had. Judging by the public's split opinion, I don't think this will have much, if any, impact on Sweeney's career or upcoming projects," he said. "She is a popular, up-and-coming talent with a bright future ahead of her." Honig went on to cite other ad campaigns that saw great success by courting controversy. "Historically, ads for jeans have been provocative," he noted. "Look back to Calvin Klein's advertising campaign in the early 1980s featuring Brooke Shields; there was a lot of criticism about how a 15-year-old girl was being portrayed. The ads turned out to have a positive result for both Klein and Shields, and in many ways put the actress/model on the map." Honig continued, "As far as the Sweeney ads being too sexual or aimed at 'male gazing,' I would point to the highly successful Pepsi ad campaign with Cindy Crawford, which was recently rebooted. Gloria Vanderbilt's advertising campaign was all about her name being on a woman's backside." "The bottom line here is that American Eagle decided to push the envelope in much the same way Klein and Vanderbilt did," he added. "Like it or not, the campaign is sparking discussion and getting a lot of notice, which is likely what they set out to do."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Orlando Bloom Takes Cheeky Swipe at Katy Perry's Rumored Romance With Justin Trudeau on Social Media
Orlando Bloom applauded a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post that poked fun at his ex Katy Perry's rumored romance with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 'Orlando Bloom Spotted at Dinner With Angela Merkel' was the headline of a story by the satirical news site The Onion. It featured a doctored picture of the Lord of the Rings star, 48, and the 71-year-old ex-German leader sharing a candlelit meal. The photo was captioned, 'Just weeks after announcing his split with fiancée Katy Perry, English actor Orlando Bloom was photographed Friday dining with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.' The fake story reported, ' 'Angela kept Orlando laughing all night — he couldn't keep his eyes off her!' said an insider source who spotted the pair sipping wine, slurping oysters, and splitting a decadent piece of chocolate layer cake at a Michelin-starred restaurant.' In the comments section, Orlando posted a series of clapping hands emojis. The story was a spoof on the news that Katy, 40, and Justin, 53, are romantically involved after being photographed having dinner together in Montreal, followed by an hour-long stroll with Katy's dog. The hunky pol also attended her concert. An insider told People the two felt an 'instant connection' and 'have a lot in common.' Orlando confirmed he and the 'Roar' singer, who share daughter Daisy, 4, had broken up last month. Just days after the announcement, he was seen cozying up to Sydney Sweeney at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding in Venice. Solve the daily Crossword
Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Childlike Habits Adults Refuse To Give Up
Since everyone's always talking about "healing their inner child," let's talk about the things we're doing to make that happen. I recently bought myself a Squishmallow and felt my soul light up again. If you need inspiration, you're in luck. In one Reddit thread (which you can see here), people shared the "little kid" things they still do in adulthood, and honestly, I need to start doing more of these. Here are 18 childlike things that people love doing as grown-ups: "I always use 'The Force' to open automatic doors." "Every single time I go to Target, I have to walk down the Lego aisle. I don't even buy them, I just like to look at the big, complicated sets and imagine building them." –BiscottiCute1 "I never miss an opportunity to test my balance. Curb raised higher than the sidewalk? I'm balancing and walking on it. As a kid, I walked miles balancing on railroad tracks. I'm almost 70 years old, and the same idea applies." "Watching cartoons. As an adult living in today's world, I just need a break from reality and want something funny and innocent." "Buying dino nuggets. I'm a legal adult who can cook actual food, but sometimes you just have a bad day and the only cure is dinosaur-shaped chicken." –joannamiller05 "I'm 36. I still sleep with quite a few stuffed animals in my bed and have a special blanket too. No fucks given, love my big ass stuffed animals and blanket very much. Indulge yourself, who cares? And if they do, they ain't a friend." "Rainbow sprinkles on my ice cream. They look so cheerful and I like the crunch. Chocolate sprinkles are not an acceptable substitue. I want every color of food dye or no deal." –baby_armadillo "Mimicking the Olympic event I just watched, especially if it's gymnastics or figure skating. Must say 'I can do that' with confidence and then immediately not do it in any remotely accurate or successful way. The only problem now is I break furniture AND body parts." "Going into pet stores just to look at all the fish, reptiles, and other animals there. Bonus points if there are cats, too." –NoSoup5774 "Looking for frogs and crayfish in creeks and ponds. I'll never be too old to get excited over catching a frog!" "Coming home with cool-looking rocks in my pockets." –MikrokosmicUnicorn "I love anything sparkly. I'll be the only one in the nursing home with a bedazzled walker." "Driving by farm animals and saying their names out loud. 'Hi, cows!' 'Horses!' 'Have a nice day, goatie goats!'" –I2AMDOOM "Putting crisps in sandwiches (that's chips to my American friends)." "Buying action figures and collectibles. I will never stop collecting, and they are for all ages." "I will never stop climbing trees. I've been scolded in parks by elderly people who seem to think that 35 is too old to be in a tree." –WillyBluntz89 "Running up the basement stairs on all fours like a cryptid because it's dark and spooky down there. I'm 19. I know there's no monster, but my lizard brain says 'go fast' and that's the fastest way." What are the "little kid" things you'll never stop doing? Let me know in the comments!
