Paris Olympics: WBD Channel Drops Commentator for Sexist Joke; Opening Ceremony Scene Draws Apology

European TV and streaming company Eurosport, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, has dropped commentator Bob Ballard from its Olympics coverage after an “inappropriate comment” that he made about members of Australia’s women’s swimming team went viral.

Ballard, commenting after the Australian female swim team won the gold medal in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, said the athletes, who were celebrating together, were late to leave the swimming venue because “you know what women are like, hanging around, doing their makeup.”

His female colleague, commentator and former Olympian Lizzie Simmonds called Ballard out for the comment. “Outrageous, Bob. Some of the men are doing that as well,” she quipped, prompting a laugh from Ballard. A 15-second clip of the comments quickly went viral on social media. Ballard was dropped soon afterward.

“During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage [Sunday], commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment,” Eurosport said in a statement. “To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”

Addressing the controversy on X (formerly Twitter), Ballard said it “was never my intention to upset or belittle anyone and, if I did, I apologize. I am a massive advocate of women’s sport. I shall miss the Eurosport team dearly and wish them all the best for the rest of the Olympics.”

Part two of statement:

I shall miss the Eurosport team, dearly and wish them all the best for the rest of the Olympics.

No further comment will be issued. Thank you.

— Bob Ballard (@bobballardsport) July 29, 2024

Ballard is a veteran reporter and sportscaster who’s covered the Olympics for multiple European outlets for decades, including the BBC. Covering Ballard’s dismissal, the British public broadcaster said he “has been a stalwart of global sports coverage since the 1980s.”

The Parisian Olympics also came under fire from some quarters for a scene from Friday’s glitzy opening ceremony. A performance, set against the backdrop of the river Seine that featured drag queens, a transgender model and a singer costumed as Dionysus (the Greek god of wine), offended some religious viewers, who thought the act was mocking Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, a depiction of Jesus and his disciples before the crucifixion.

In an interview with French television, Olympics artistic director Thomas Jolly said the idea had been to depict “a grand pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus” and that The Last Supper was not a reference.

Speaking to Reuters, Paris 2024 representative Anne Descamps said there was “never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance…. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”