The Real Reason A Brazilian Swimmer Was Banned From The 2024 Olympics

For most athletes, getting to compete at the Olympic Games is the ultimate dream. Those who take part represent the best of the best, who have devoted years of their lives perfecting their skills in their chosen disciplines. It takes dedication, perseverance, and unwavering self-belief for athletes of all stripes to ascend to the level where they get to represent their nation on the biggest competitive platform in the world. It also takes perspective and a sense of team togetherness that generally characterizes the attitude of elite Olympians. South Korean markswoman Kim Yeji, for example, told the Associated Press upon taking silver when her younger compatriot Oh Ye Jin took gold: "I do not view her as my rival. This is a big stage, the Olympics, and we won the gold and silver. When we won these medals, we were so proud we are Koreans." 

But such professionalism and gregariousness in athletics are not universal, as one incident in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games has seemingly shown. As reported by multiple news outlets, the Brazilian Olympic team was penalized for the behavior of two athletes, swimmers Ana Carolina Vieira and her boyfriend Gabriel Santos, with the former being sent home from Paris on the order of team officials. The incident has caused a scandal in their home country. Here's the full story.

Usually, elite athletes make agreements with their coaches and team staff that they will refrain from recreation during competitions such as the Olympic Games, especially during the night, when they are expected to be getting some much needed rest. Typically, they are also expected to remain within the bounds of the Olympic village, which in 2024 is located in the towns of Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen, and l'Ile-Saint-Denis, six miles north of the center of Paris. If athletes want to leave the Olympic Village for any reason, they are supposed to get permission from their team.

Ana Carolina Vieira and her boyfriend Gabriel Santos, however, decided not to alert anyone when they snuck out of the area and went on a secret night out to enjoy the attractions of central Paris. Shockingly, Vieira and Santos' big night out took place on the eve of their respective events, with both expected to take part in 4 x 100 relay races the next day.

Despite both Ana Carolina Vieira and Gabriel Santos having been found to have broken team rules when they snuck out of the Olympic Village to enjoy a night out in Paris, only Vieira was sent home, while Santos was simply given a warning. On the surface, Vieira's punishment appeared unjust. However, it was also revealed that there was another incident the following day — an altercation between Vieira and members of the Brazilian Swim Team committee — which was the catalyst for her expulsion.

"The Brazilian Confederation of Aquatic Sports (CBDA), the COB decided to punish the two athletes for having left the Olympic Village without authorization last Friday," read a statement from the organization (via The National Post). "In addition to this fact, the athlete Ana Carolina, in a disrespectful and aggressive manner, contested the technical decision taken by the Brazilian Swimming Team committee. Thus, athlete Gabriel Santos was punished with a warning, and athlete Ana Carolina Vieira was punished with removal from the delegation. She will return to Brazil immediately."

Vieira, however, has disputed the version of events now circulating on social media. She has claimed instead that she did nothing wrong, and has complained about being expelled from the Olympic Village without any of her belongings. Many sports events are marred by controversy, and it appears that among its glories the 2024 Olympic Games will now also be remembered as the low point of Vieira's career. For now, her future as an Olympic athlete remains unclear.