Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso.
Credit: Instagram/luanalonsom
Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso was removed from the Olympic village in Paris over allegations of creating an 'inappropriate atmosphere' within the team.
The 20-year-old didn't have a great run at the 2024 Paris Olympics and failed to qualify for the 100-meter butterfly semi-finals. She announced her retirement soon after but remained in the Paris village.
Larissa Schaerer, former tennis player and Paraguay's Olympic chief said in a statement that the swimmer's presence was creating an 'inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay' and said that it was of her 'own free will' that the swimmer didn't spend the night in the athletes' village, media reports said.
However, the statement didn't divulge specifics about her 'inappropriate behaviour.'
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Since then, Alonso has denied that she was 'removed' or 'expelled'. "I just wanted to clarify that I was never removed or expelled from anywhere, stop spreading false information," she said in an Instagram story shared on August 5, adding "I don't want to give any statement, but neither am I going to let lies affect me."
However, WION reported that Alonso was asked to leave for dressing skimpily in the village. Citing reports, the publication said that her behaviour, outfits, and interactions were believed to be causing distractions within the camp. She's also reportedly been accused of distracting competitors by socialising with them in revealing outfits.
Further, the publication noted that Alonso defied other orders as well, like leaving the village to visit Paris Disneyland, which didn't go down well with Paraguyan officials.
The swimmer had her own contention with the nation's sporting body with Marca reporting her say that it was 'not a pleasure' representing Paraguay and if it were her choice she would return to college. Alonso stays in the US, as per her Instagram bio, and ahead of the Olympics reportedly said that she wants to represent the US more.