Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso has refuted allegations that she was expelled from the Olympic village in Paris due to inappropriate behaviour.
“I just wanted to clarify that I was never kicked out or expelled from anywhere, please stop spreading false information,” Alonso said in an Instagram statement. “I don’t want to make any statement but I’m not going to let lies affect me either.”
Alonso, who finished her Olympic campaign after failing to advance past the 100m butterfly heats, has been accused of leaving the village to visit Disneyland, as well as distracting other competitors by socialising with other teams and wearing skimpy clothing instead of the official Paraguayan uniform.
But the 20-year-old swimmer, who lives in the US but represents Paraguay, has strongly denied such claims, stating that they are “lies” and “false information.”
Unlike the previous Tokyo Olympics, where athletes were required to leave the village after their final event, competitors in Paris have been permitted to stay until the end of the Games. But Alonso reportedly became the second athlete to be sent home early, with the Paraguayan Olympic Committee claiming her “presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay.”
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The 20-year-old, who announced her retirement from swimming last week after failing to reach the 100m butterfly semi-finals, took to social media to address the controversy surrounding her premature departure from the Games.
Prior to returning to the US, where she is studying political science, Alonso shared pictures of herself enjoying her time in Paris, visiting various landmarks and mingling with fellow athletes, including tennis legends Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“Sorry Paraguay, I only have to thank you! I am very emotional because it was my last race. I am retiring from swimming. I have been swimming for so long, 18 years, and I have so many feelings,” she said.
