Luana Alonso. Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Paraguay’s Luana Alonso made waves at the 2024 Paris Olympics resulting in her expulsion from the Olympic Village.
“Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay,” the head of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, Larissa Schaerer, said in a statement on Monday, August 5, via The Sun.
Schaerer continued: “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.”
Every two years, the summer or winter Olympics bring together the best athletes in the world to compete in the same city and live in the same Olympic village. They’re usually 20-somethings in peak physical fitness, forced into close proximity amid a high-stress, high-stakes environment. It’s ripe for extracurricular activities. In fact, People reports that […]
Alonso, 20, failed to advance to the women’s 100m butterfly semifinals on July 27 and subsequently announced her retirement from the sport.
However, she reportedly caused a stir in the Olympic Village throughout the games by wearing inappropriate outfits and not the official Paraguay team gear. The swimmer allegedly became a “distraction,” according to The Daily Mail, because of her wardrobe and her disregard for the rules in the village, which is where most athletes sleep throughout the games.
Alonso was also criticized for going to Disneyland Paris and exploring the city instead of supporting her teammates. While she was allowed to stay and watch the rest of the events, Alonso was asked to move to a hotel, which she agreed to without conflict.
All the drama! The Olympics may be an event that is all about the sports activities, but that doesn’t mean that the most shocking things happen during the tournaments. Throughout the years, many controversial incidents have made headlines outside of the event. During the 1994 games, ice skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked with a baton […]
Alonso revealed via Instagram on Monday that she has arrived back to the United States after the drama in Paris. She is currently a student at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas.
Ahead of her Olympic Village departure, Alonso turned heads when she shared her retirement with her social media fans before allegedly telling the Olympic chiefs.
“It’s official now! I’m retiring from swimming, thank you all so much for the support!” the athlete wrote on July 27 via Instagram in Spanish, which has been translated into English. “Sorry Paraguay ♥️ I only have to thank you!”
Several stars have chosen to come out to support the stellar athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kelly Clarkson covered the opening ceremony for NBC along with Mike Tirico and Peyton Manning on July 26, which included performances from stars such as Lady Gaga and Céline Dion. During Dion’s powerful performance, which marked her […]
She shared a second message the next day, writing, “Swimming: thank you for allowing me to dream, you taught me to fight, to try, perseverance, sacrifice, discipline and many more.”
Alonso concluded, “I gave you part of my life and I don’t change it for anything in the world because I lived the best experiences of my life, you gave me thousands of joys, friends from other countries that I will always carry them in my heart, unique opportunities. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon 💙.”
Alonso made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She didn’t medal in Tokyo or Paris.
Us Weekly has reached out for comment.