A veteran sports commentator has been sacked from his Olympics role after making a sexist remark about Australian female swimmers following their gold medal win.

As the 4x100m freestyle relay team were making their way off the pool deck in Paris, Bob Ballard said they were “finishing up”, adding “you know what women are like… hanging around, doing their make up”.

The clip quickly went viral and broadcaster Eurosport later said he had been removed from the commentary line-up.

Ballard has yet to comment publicly on his remarks.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    43
    ·
    3 months ago

    Man, not even a GOOD sexist comment!

    I mean, if you’re going to flame out your career, go big… “She may have come in 3rd, but look at that ass though!”

  • eatthecake@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    32
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    3 months ago

    This guy is out for being a dick but it’s fine to have an olympic rapist. I don’t get it.

    • HollandJim@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      Speaking of behalf of many of us in the Netherlands, yeah – we don’t get it either.

      IMHO, should never have been allowed on the team.

      • eatthecake@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        3 months ago

        I don’t get society. It seems to me that if respecting women and girls was actually something people cared about then the rapist would be gone. Instead we get this virtue signalling. They’ll put a rapist on the stage and cheer for him but one sexist remark and you’re off. It’s just lies.

        • The Octonaut@mander.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          3 months ago

          I don’t know if you get this, but the Netherlands and Australia Britain are different societies. Who do you think is lying?

          • eatthecake@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            3 months ago

            Both, probably. The Netherlands clearly doesn’t care about rape victims and the media are just virtue signalling. The United States elected a misogynist. It’s a problem all over the world and I think a lot of people who claim to care (society in general) are lying.

  • I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    3 months ago

    Yesterday during women’s volleyball (Czech Republic vs USA) an American announcer said “Czechoslov……. Czechia…” I haven’t heard anyone upset about it yet, but I was expecting to.

    Definitely less offensive than being chatty about “ladies and their silly lady habits lololol!”

    • Th3master@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      3 months ago

      No that Bob is quite a bit older and hasn’t got into sports broadcasting, at least not the last time I checked… ;)

      • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        3 months ago

        Iirc I think he was the one who reported on finding a bismark on the Titanic.