Olympic swimmer breaks silence after being kicked out of athletes' village for creating 'inappropriate environment'

Paraguayan Olympic swimmer Luana Alonso took to Instagram to dispel the ‘lies’

While the Olympics is known for incredible sporting feats, there seems to have been just as many surprises outside of the events.

Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso was reportedly asked to leave the Olympic Village by her team and go home in a surprising turn of events.

The swimmer currently holds Paraguayan records in the 50m, 100m and 200m Butterfly events, however, she had an underwhelming run at the Olympic Games this year.

Team Paraguay (COP) issued a statement saying Alonso had created an ‘inappropriate environment’ but did not go into further details about what that meant.

Larissa Schaerer, the head of the COP, said: “Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay.

Luana Alonso had a disappointing run in her events at this year's Olympics. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Luana Alonso had a disappointing run in her events at this year’s Olympics. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

“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.”

Alonso hasn’t given much more information about the whole drama herself but her Instagram page shows the 20-year-old has since returned to US, where she is studying at a university in Dallas, Texas.

Alonso admitted she isn’t yet ready to issue an official statement about what occurred but has taken to social media to address the ‘lies’ that have begun circulating since her departure.

She wrote: “I just wanted to clarify that I was never kicked out or expelled from anywhere, please stop spreading false information.

“I don’t want to make any statement but I’m not going to let lies affect me either.”

Alonso also announced that she would retiring from swimming but insisted it had nothing to do with her performance at this year’s games.

The athlete went out of the games after finishing sixth in the Women’s 100m Butterfly heats and failed to qualify for the semi-finals with her time of 1:03.09 – three seconds below her personal best.

Alonso took to Instagram to dispel the 'lies'. (Instagram/@luanalonsom)
Alonso took to Instagram to dispel the ‘lies’. (Instagram/@luanalonsom)

On her retirement, the swimmer said: “It’s official now! I’m retiring from swimming, thank you all so much for the support! Sorry Paraguay, I only have to thank you.

“Swimming: thank you for allowing me to dream, you taught me to fight, to try, perseverance, sacrifice, discipline and many more.

“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.”

UNILAD has previously contacted POC and Alonso for comment.

Team USA’s current medal count – 79

Gold medalists

Lee Kiefer: Fencing – Women’s individual foil
Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 100m butterfly
Jack Alexj, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held, Matt King: Swimming – Men’s 4x100m freestyle
Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s team competition
Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 1500m freestyle
Nick Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan: Rowing – Men’s coxless four
Jacqueline Dubrovich, Lee Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs, Maia Mei Weintraub – Fencing: Women’s foil team
Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s individual all-around
Kate Douglass: Swimming – Women’s 200m breaststroke
Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s vault
Vincent Hancock: Shooting – Men’s skeet
Ryan Crouser: Athletics – Men’s shot put
Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 800m freestyle
Nic Fink, Torri Huske, Ryan Murphy, Gretchen Walsh: Swimming – Mixed 4x100m medley relay
Bobby Finke: Swimming – Men’s 1500m freestyle
Kristen Faulkner: Cycling – Women’s road race
Scottie Scheffler: Golf – Men’s individual stroke play
Noah Lyles: Athletics – Men’s 100m
Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 4x100m medley relay
Valarie Allman: Athletics – Women’s discus throw
Caroline Marks: Surfing – Women’s Shortboard

Silver medalists

Nic Fink: Swimming – Men’s 100m breaststroke
Lauren Scruggs: Fencing – Women’s individual foil
Gretchen Walsh: Swimming – Women’s 100m butterfly
Haley Batten: Mountain Bike – Women’s cross country
Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh. Torri Huske, Simone Manuel, Erika Connolly, Abbey Weitzel: Swimming – Women’s 4x100m freestyle
Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook: Diving – Women’s springboard 3m synchronised
Katie Grimes: Swimming – Women’s 400m individual medley
Jagger Eaton: Skateboarding – Men’s street
Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 100m backstroke
Bobby Finke: Swimming – Men’s 800m freestyle
Carson Foster, Brooks Curry, Chris Guiliano, Luke Hobson, Drew Kibler, Blake Pieroni, Kieran Smith: Swimming – Men, 4x200m freestyle
Perris Benegas: Cycling – Women’s BMX freestyle
Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 100m freestyle
Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 200m butterfly
Erin Gemell, Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, Simone Manuel, Anna Peplowski, Alex Shackell, Claire Weinstein: Swimming – Women’s 4x200m freestyle
Karl Cook, Laura Kraut, McLain Ward: Equestrian – Jumping team
Sagen Maddalena: Shooting – Women, 50m rifle 3 positions
Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 200m backstroke
Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram: Tennis – Men’s doubles
Conner Prince: Shooting – Men’s skeet
Joe Kovacs: Athletics – Men’s shot put
Kaylyn Brown, Bryce Deadmon, Shamier Little, Vernon Norwood: Athletics – 4x400m relay mixed
Sha’Carri Richardson: Athletics – Women’s 100m
Kate Douglass: Swimming – Women’s 200m individual medley
Brady Ellison: Archery: Men’s individual
Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Nic Fink, Ryan Murphy: Swimming – Men’s 4x100m medley relay
Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey, Morgan Pearson and Taylor Knibb: Triathlon – Mixed relay
Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s floor exercise
Sam Kendricks: Athletics – Men’s pole vault
Vincent Hancock and Jewell Austen Smith: Shooting – Mixed team skeet

Bronze medalists

Carson Foster: Swimming – Men’s 400m individual medley
Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 400m freestyle
Chloe Dygert: Cycling – Women’s individual time trial
Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, Paul Juda, Asher Hong: Artistic Gymnastics – Men’s team competition
Nick Itkin: Fencing – Men’s foil individual
Emma Weyant: Swimming – Women’s 400m individual medley
Ryan Murphy: Swimming – Men’s 100m backstroke
Luke Hobson: Swimming – Men’s 200m freestyle
Nyjah Huston: Skateboarding – Men’s street
Ilona Maher, Kayla Canett, Lauren Doyle, Alev Kelter, Kristi Kirshe, Sarah Levy, Alena Olsen, Ariana Ramsey, Steph Rovetti, Alex Sedrick, Sammy Sullivan, Naya Tapper: Rugby 7s – Women’s team competition
Katharine Berkoff: Swimming – Women’s 100m backstroke
Evy Leibfarth: Canoe slalom – Women’s Canoe Single
Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s individual all-around
Casey Kaufhold, Brady Ellison: Archery – Mixed Team
Grant Fisher: Athletics – Men’s 10,000m
Ian Barrows and Hans Henken: Sailing – Men’s skiff
Henry Hollingsworth, Nick Rusher, Christian Tabash, Clark Dean, Chris Carlson, Peter Chatain, Evan Olson, Pieter Quinton: Rowing – Men’s eight
Stephen Nedoroscik: Gymnastics – Men’s pommel horse
Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul: Tennis – Men’s doubles
Jade Carey: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s vault
Jasmine Moore: Athletics – Women’s triple jump
Melissa Jefferson: Athletics – Women’s 100m
Paige Madden: Swimming – Women’s 800m freestyle
Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s uneven bars
Austen Jewell Smith: Shooting – Women’s skeet
Fred Kerley: Athletics – Men’s 100m
Jordan Chiles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s floor exercise
Cierra Burdick, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Hailey van Lith: 3×3 basketball – Women’s competition