Bob Ballard sacked from Eurosport for sexist comments

Gold Medalists, Mollie O'Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris of Team Australia during the Medal Ceremony after the Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. GETTY IMAGES

Eurosport, the official broadcaster of the Olympic Games, has fired Britain’s Bob Ballard after he made a sexist comment about four Australian swimmers. The athletes had just won gold in the 4X100m freestyle relay.

“The women are finishing. You know what women are like… they’re hanging around, putting make-up on.” Bob Ballard, a British commentator specialising in swimming, diving, water polo, ice hockey and wheelchair tennis, was kicked out of the Olympics by Eurosport after uttering the sexist phrase on Saturday.

The incident occurred as the Australian swimmers – Mollie O’callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma Mckeon and Meg Harris – were celebrating their gold medals in the 4X100m freestyle relay.

Images of the comment quickly went viral on social media, sparking outrage. Lizzie Simmonds, the British swimmer who co-presented the events with Bob Ballard, also called the latter’s comment ‘outrageous’. On TikTok, users described the journalist’s behaviour as a perfect example of ‘casual sexism’.

For its part, Eurosport issued a statement – relayed by The Independent – announcing the exclusion of Bob Ballard ‘with immediate effect’ for making ‘an inappropriate comment’.

“During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment. He has therefore been removed from our list of commentators with immediate effect.”

Ballard has been a mainstay of world sports coverage since the 1980s, covering several Olympic Games and World Championships. He has covered a variety of sports, including water polo, ice hockey and wheelchair tennis, but is best known for his coverage of swimming and diving.

Bob Ballard was nowhere to be seen on Sunday night. To a colleague’s video introducing the night’s swimming and posted on X, he responded: ‘Have a good time’. The veteran sports commentator has yet to speak publicly about his comments. Despite being very active on social media, he has not commented on his situation.

The comment comes at a time when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is making Paris 2024 ‘The Equality Games’, where women will represent 50 per cent of the participating athletes.

The Australian women’s team made history by setting – and maintaining – their world record in the final of the Fukuoka World Championships with a time of 3’27‘’96, securing a fourth consecutive gold medal in the 4X100m freestyle relay.



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