Swimmer kicked out of Olympics and sent home after 'inappropriate' act with boyfriend

The Brazilian team has been rocked by scandal at the Olympics after a swimmer was sent home for breaching team rules by sneaking out of the athletes' village with her boyfriend. Ana Carolina Vieira has been kicked out of the Games after she defied a team order by leaving the village with boyfriend and fellow swimmer Gabriel Santos to sample some of the nightlife in Paris.

Vieira and Santos were both part of Brazil's men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relay teams that failed to make the finals in Paris. The night before competing, they both defied a team order not to leave the village and hit the town in Paris. The couple were found out when Viera posted photos of the night on social media.

As a result, Vieira has been sent home to Brazil. Santos apologised for the error of judgement and has been allowed to remain in Paris, but the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) described Vieira's reaction as "disrespectful and aggressively challenge(ing)" and decided to send her home.

An official statement from the governing body read: "With the Brazilian Confederation of Aquatic Sports (CBDA), the COB decided to punish the two athletes for having left the Olympic Village without authorisation last Friday. In addition to this fact, the athlete Ana Carolina, in a disrespectful and aggressive manner, contested the technical decision taken by the Brazilian Swimming Team committee. Thus, athlete Gabriel Santos was punished with a warning and athlete Ana Carolina Vieira was punished with removal from the delegation. She will return to Brazil immediately."

Brazil's swimming team leader Gustavo Otsuka said of the situation: "We’re not here playing or taking a vacation. We’re here working for Brazil, for the 200 million taxpayers who are working for us. We can’t play around here. She took a completely inappropriate position to make her point, her dismay, about the formation of the relay."

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Ana Carolina Vieira makes shock new claims about situation

But Vieira has since fired back at the claims and said she's filed a harassment complaint because she wasn't allowed to gather her belongings before being kicked out. “I left there and left my materials, I didn’t know what to do," she said in an online video. "My things are there [in the Olympic Village], I went to the airport in shorts. I had to open my suitcase at the airport. I’m in Portugal, I’m going to Recife and then to São Paulo.

"I am helpless, I have had no access to anything, I have not been able to speak to anyone. They told me to contact the COB channels. But how am I going to get in touch? I have already filed a complaint of harassment and nothing has been resolved, harassment within the team.

"I will speak to my lawyers. I promise to tell everything. I am sad, nervous, but with a peace of mind because I know who I am, I know what my character and my nature are. I hope to be able to defend Brazilian women’s swimming with great pride. I ask for patience, thank you." The Brazilian Olympic Committee is now investigating the harassment claims levelled by Vieira.