Sports commentator Bob Ballard has been removed from his role at Eurosport after making a sexist remark about Australian female swimmers following their gold medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
As the 4x100m freestyle relay team was leaving the pool deck, Ballard commented, “Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like… hanging around, doing their make-up.” This comment, made during live coverage, quickly went viral and sparked widespread outrage on social media.
Eurosport reacted promptly to the backlash, announcing that Ballard, who has a long history of covering major sports events, would be removed from their commentary team. In a statement, the broadcaster said, “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.”
Ballard’s co-commentator, British swimming champion Lizzie Simmonds, immediately called the remark “outrageous,” which prompted laughter from Ballard. Simmonds’ reaction highlighted the inappropriateness of the comment, further fueling the public’s anger.
The Australian team, comprising Mollie O’Callaghan, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris, and Shayna Jack, had just secured their fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay with a time of 3:28.92. Their victory was a significant achievement, celebrated widely both in Australia and internationally.
Ballard’s comment overshadowed this historic moment, shifting the focus from the athletes’ accomplishments to the controversy.
Two days after the incident, Ballard issued an apology, stating, “The comments I made during the Australian freestyle relay victory ceremony on Saturday have caused some offence. It was never my intention to upset or belittle anyone and, if I did, I apologise. I am a massive advocate of women’s sport. I shall miss the Eurosport team dearly and wish them all the best for the rest of the Olympics. No further comment will be issued. Thank you.”
Despite the apology, the reaction across social media has been overwhelmingly critical. Many commentators on TikTok described the remark as an example of “casual sexism,” with some noting the irony that the only medals won by Team GB at the Games had been by women. This incident comes at a time when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is promoting Paris 2024 as “The Equal Games,” highlighting that women now make up 50 percent of its participants.
