A Brazilian swimmer who had been banished from the Olympic Games after sneaking out of the Athletes' Village with her boyfriend to 'go on a night out in Paris' has broken her silence on being sent home.
Ana Carolina Vieira and Gabriel Santos had allegedly been found trying to leave the Olympic Village. It came after she had crashed out of the 4x100m freestyle relay on Saturday - with Brazil placing seventh in the women's second heat.
The incident had occurred on July 26, with the 22-year-old leaving the village without permission. But when reprimanded for the indiscretion by the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carolina Vieira had allegedly abused them and was sent back home.
The governing body said that her reaction was 'disrespectful and aggressively challenging'.
'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.' The statement from the body began.
'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.'
Carolina Vieira, though, has now spoken out on the matter. She claimed on her Instagram story that she had done nothing wrong, and accordig to Tyla, has 'filed a complaint of harassment with the COB'. According to the outlet, she states her complaint has 'allegedly been ignored'.
'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. I had to open my suitcase at the airport. I'm in Portugal, I'm going to Recife and then to São 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 a peace of mind because I know who I am, I know what my character and my nature are.'
Speaking on the rule violation, Brazil's swim team leader Gustavo Otsuka told Reuters: 'We’re not here playing or taking a vacation.
'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.'
Carolina Vieira hails from Sao Paulo, Brazil and had previously represented her nation at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where her team finished 12th in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Santos, meanwhile, was taking part in his third Olympic Games, having debuted at Rio 2016.
Her expulsion from Paris is not the first time she has landed in trouble at a swim meet, having feuded with compatriot Jhennifer Conceicao during the finals of the 2023 Brazilian Championships on the podium, according to UOL.
