Swimmer Luana Alonso hits back amid claims she was kicked out of Olympics over 'inappropriate' act

Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso has refuted claims she was kicked out of the athletes' village at the Olympics after leaving the Games venue to visit Disneyland. The swimmer, who lives in the US but represents Paraguay, finished her Olympics program after failing to progress past the 100m butterfly heats.

However, unlike the Tokyo Games where competitors were told they must leave after their last event, competitors have been permitted to stay in the athletes’ village until the end of the Games in Paris. But Alonso reportedly became the second athlete sent home before the end of the Games amid claims she spent a night out in Paris and went to Disneyland rather than staying to support her teammates.

Alonso has also been also accused of distracting other competitors by socialising with other teams and wearing skimpy clothing around the village, instead of the official uniforms provided by Paraguayan team chiefs. And the trip to Disneyland was reportedly the final straw for Team Paraguay, with the country's Olympic Committee boss Larissa Schaerer confirming she had been ordered to leave. “Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay," Schaerer said. “We thank her for proceeding as instructed, as it was of her own free will that she did not spend the night in the athletes’ village.”

Luana Alonso hits back amid Olympics controversy

But the 20-year-old has since responded to her banishing, claiming she is the victim of lies and false information. "I just wanted to clarify that I was never kicked out or expelled from anywhere, please stop spreading false information," she said in a statement on Instagram. "I don't want to make any statement but I'm not going to let lies affect me either."

Alonso last week announced her retirement from the sport after failing to reach the semi-finals by a mere 0.24 seconds. "I’m retiring from swimming, thank you all so much for the support!" she wrote on Instagram. "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."

Alonso has since returned to the US - where she is studying political science - but before leaving France she shared pictures of her staying at the upmarket Hotel Pastel, at various shops, museums and in front of the Eiffel Tower. The Paraguay athlete also took the chance of being at the Games to mingle with Rafa Nadal and watch Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in action.

Luana Alonso the second Olympian to be sent home

Alonso is the second Olympian to be banished from the athletes' village after a Brazilian swimmer was sent home for breaching team rules by sneaking out of the team camp with her boyfriend. Ana Carolina Vieira was kicked out of the Games after she defied a team order by leaving the village with her 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 caught red handed when Viera posted photos of the night on social media.

As a result, Vieira was sent home to Brazil, but Santos apologised for his error of judgement and was allowed to remain in Paris. 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."