Olympic swimmer sent home from athlete's village after breaking strict rules
A swimmer from Brazil has been sent home from the 2024 Paris Olympics after she was caught breaking strict rules.
Ana Carolina Vieira took part in the women's 4x100 metre freestyle relay, finishing 12th in the heats.
But following Saturday's event at La Defense Arena in Paris, Viera and her boyfriend Gabriel Santos were punished after they left the athletes' village without authorisation.
It is believed their actions, which have been described as "committed acts of indiscipline", were discovered through posts on social media.
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The Brazilian Olympic Committee punished the athletes for leaving the village but it is claimed that Vieira took things further by challenging Brazil's relay team formation.
Santos received a warning for his actions, whilst Vieira has been sent home with immediate effect.
A statement on the situation said: "The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) received this Saturday, 27 July, a statement from the Head of the Brazilian Swimming Team, Gustavo Otsuka, with the information that swimmers Ana Carolina Vieira and Gabriel Santos committed acts of indiscipline.
"With this, in common agreement with the members of the Technical Committee of the sport, with the Team Leader and with 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.
"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."
Gustavo Otsuka, Brazil's swimming team leader, insisted they aren't in Paris to "play or take a vacation" and criticised Vieira's reaction to the relay formation.
He said: "We're here working for Brazil, for the 200 million taxpayers who are working for us. We can't play around here. She took a completely inappropriate position to make her point, her dismay, about the formation of the relay."
Otsuka added: "It was during this period that we decided to take this situation to the disciplinary committee, discussed it and took the appropriate action. We ended up finding out through the [social media] posts."
The 22-year-old, who also represented Brazil at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has since accused the Brazilian Olympic Committee of ignoring complaints of harassment.
"I left there and left my materials. I didn't know what to do. My things are there [in the Olympic Village]. I went to the airport in shorts," Vieira explained in a video on her Instagram story.
"I had to open my suitcase at the airport. I'm in Portugal. I'm going to Recife and then to Sao Paulo. I am helpless.
"I have had no access to anything. I have not been able to speak to anyone. They told me to contact the COB channels. But how am I going to get in touch?
"I have already filed a complaint of harassment, and nothing has been resolved, harassment within the team.
She added: "I will speak to my lawyers. I promise to tell everything. I am sad, nervous, but with peace of mind because I know who I am. I know what my character and my nature are.
"I hope to be able to defend Brazilian women's swimming with great pride. I ask for patience and thank you."
Jack Kenmare