Originally appeared on E! Online
This Olympian’s time in Paris has come to an early end.
Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira, 22, was sent home from the 2024 Paris Olympics after being caught leaving the Olympic Village with another teammate, Gabriel Santos, following the Opening Ceremony July 26.
“Swimmers Ana Carolina Vieira and Gabriel Santos committed acts of indiscipline,” a July 28 press release from the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) read. “The COB decided to punish the two athletes for having left the Olympic Village without authorization during the night of last Friday.”
After being reprimanded, Vieira reacted to the “technical decision” made by the committee in a “disrespectful and aggressive” manner, according to the COB. Consequently, she was sent home.
“Gabriel Santos was punished with a warning and athlete Ana Carolina Vieira, with the penalty of dismissal from the delegation,” the press release concludes. “She will return to Brazil immediately.”
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Prior to her dismissal, Vieira had competed the 4x100m freestyle relay along with teammates Giovana Medeiros, Maria Paula Heitmann and Stephanie Balduccini on July 27. The team placed seventh in their heat and 12th overall, with Australia, the United States and China taking the gold, silver and bronze medals for the event.
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The head of Brazil’s swimming team Gustavo Otsuka later emphasized that Vieira’s reaction to the relay lineup played a part in her getting sent home.
“We're not here playing or taking a vacation,” Gustavo explained to Reuters. “We're here working for Brazil, for the 200 million taxpayers who are working for us. She took a completely inappropriate position to make her point, her dismay, about the formation of the relay.”
For her part, Vieira — who also represented Brazil in Tokyo 2020 — had shared a heartfelt statement on social media.
“The stadium was beautiful, the vibe in the stands was contagious,” she wrote in a July 27 Instagram post in Portuguese. “There is a lot of emotion involved, years of work. I had a lot of dedication and focus on my career. Representing Brazil is an immense and very rewarding responsibility.”
