Olympics Commentator Bob Ballard Fired Over Sexist Remark

Veteran sports commentator Bob Ballard has been dismissed from his role covering the Olympics after making a sexist remark about Australian female swimmers.

During a broadcast of the 4x100m freestyle relay event in Paris, Ballard commented on the team’s post-race celebration, saying, “you know what women are like… hanging around, doing their make-up.”

The comment quickly went viral, leading Eurosport to remove Ballard from its commentary lineup. In response, Ballard issued an apology on X, stating it was not his intention to offend or belittle anyone.

The Australian team, including Mollie O’Callaghan, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris, and Shayna Jack, had just won gold, marking their fourth consecutive Olympic victory in the event.

Ballard’s co-commentator, Lizzie Simmonds, condemned the remark as “outrageous,” which led to Ballard laughing off the criticism.

Eurosport confirmed Ballard’s removal, stating, “During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment. He has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”

Ballard, a fixture in global sports coverage since the 1980s, has reported on numerous Olympic Games and World Championships and is known for his work in swimming and diving. Swimming Australia has been approached for comment on the incident.