Ana Carolina Vieira was expelled from the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday after violating a key rule. The Brazilian swimmer was caught sneaking out of the athletes’ village with her boyfriend, Gabriel Santos, who is also a swimmer and her teammate.
Vieira, 22, who competed in the 4×100 meters freestyle relay on July 27, left the village on the night of July 26 without permission. She finished 12th in the heats, while Santos did not advance in the men’s 4×100 freestyle.
The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) made the decision to send Vieira home after discovering her unauthorized exit through social media posts. Gustavo Otsuka, head of Brazil’s swimming team, reported Vieira’s “inappropriate” behavior and her challenge against a technical decision by the team. Santos received a warning and an apology for his role, while Vieira faced immediate dismissal.
“The athlete Ana Carolina Vieira, in a disrespectful and aggressive manner, contested a technical decision made by the Brazilian National Swimming Team committee. As a result, Gabriel Santos was given a warning and Ana Carolina Vieira was dismissed from the delegation. She will return to Brazil immediately,” COB stated.
Otsuka expressed disappointment in a separate statement, saying, “We’re not here for vacation; we’re here to represent Brazil and its taxpayers. Her actions were completely inappropriate and took away from our mission.”
The decision to expel Vieira followed discussions in the disciplinary committee, with the rule-breaking behavior becoming known through her social media activity.
