Ana Carolina Vieira (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira’s ban from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, has put a heavy strain on her career now and in the future.
The 22-year-old Olympic swimmer from Brazil was sent home from the Summer Games by her country after she was reportedly caught sneaking out of the Olympic Village with her boyfriend.
Ana Carolina Vieira snuck out of the Olympic Village without permission from her team to spend a night in Paris with her boyfriend, fellow Olympic swimmer Gabriel Santos.
She was said to be caught after she actually posted their night on social media.
The Daily Mail stated Ana Carolina Vieira was told of what she did by the Brazilian Olympic Committee, she reportedly berated them and became disrespectful and challenging. She was immediately sent packing.
Vieira competed on Saturday alongside her fellow Brazilian teammates in the 4×100 meters freestyle relay. They did not have a good showing, finishing 12th in the heats.
As for Santos, who was eliminated in the heats of the men’s 4×100 freestyle, he also found himself being disciplined, although he had a different reaction as he apologized for his actions.
He was allowed to remain in Paris as a result.
Head of The Brazilian Swimming Team Speaks Out About Ana Carolina Vieira
The Head of the Brazilian Swimming Team, Gustavo Otsuka, issued a statement via the Brazilian Olympic Committee in regards to Vieira and Santos’ ‘acts of indiscipline’.
It read: “With this, in common agreement with the members of the Technical Committee of the sport, with the Team Leader and with the Brazilian Confederation of Aquatic Sports (CBDA), the COB decided to punish the two athletes for having left the Olympic Village without authorization 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.”
Otsuka said, per Reuters: “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.
“It was during this period that we decided to take this situation to the disciplinary committee, discussed it and took the appropriate action. We ended up finding out through the posts.”
