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European broadcaster Eurosport removed commentator Bob Ballard from its Olympics coverage on Sunday after he made “inappropriate comments” about members of the Australian women’s swimming team.
Ballard made the comments after Australia’s 4×100 relay team of Molly O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeown and Meg Harris won gold on Saturday, setting a new Olympic record, beating the silver-medal-winning United States team and the bronze-medal-winning Chinese team. It is Australia’s fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the event.
Ballard made the controversial comments as Australian swimmers were congratulating each other with their medals around their necks.
“Well, the ladies are just getting it done,” Ballard said. “You know how it is for them, hanging out and putting on makeup.”
“That’s crazy, Bob,” his on-air partner Lizzy Simmons responded. “Some men do the same thing.”
Symonds is a former European swimming champion who represented Great Britain at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.
The video went viral and drew criticism on social media, with Eurosport eventually announcing that Ballard had been removed from their “commentary roster”.
“During last night’s Eurosport broadcast, commentator Bob Ballard made inappropriate comments,” a Eurosport statement read. “As a result, he has been removed from the commentary roster with immediate effect.”
Ballard had not issued a public response or remained silent on social media since his firing as of early Monday morning. Neither Swimming Australia nor its athletes have responded to Ballard’s comments or Eurosport’s decision.
Ballard is a veteran reporter and sportscaster who has covered the Olympics for decades for several European media outlets, including the BBC, which described him as “a leading figure in global sports reporting” in its report on his dismissal.
“Ballard has been a leading figure in global sport reporting since the 1980s, covering numerous Olympic Games and world championships,” a BBC news article said. “He has commentated on a range of sports, including water polo, ice hockey and wheelchair tennis, but is best known for his coverage of swimming and diving.”
