Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso has spoken out following reports she was kicked out of the Olympic village, insisting she is the victim of ‘lies’ and ‘false information’.
Alonso was accused of distracting other competitors by socializing and wearing skimpy clothing, with officials claiming she had created an ‘inappropriate atmosphere’ with her behaviour.
But in a statement on Instagram on Monday, Alonso said: ‘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 added alongside a photo of her enjoying a drink as the sun set.
The stunning 20-year-old blonde, who failed to qualify from the heats of the 100m butterfly, had been seen walking round in her own choice of outfits rather than the official uniforms provided by Paraguayan team chiefs.
Luana Alonso has spoken out following reports she was kicked out of the Olympic village
Officials claiming the swimmer had created an ‘inappropriate atmosphere’ with her behaviour
She had also been spotted hanging out with other athletes and was said to be distracting her teammates who were still competing in the Games.
Alonso even checked into a hotel in the French capital and visited luxury stores and restaurants, posting photos to her 600,000 followers on social media.
Paraguayan Olympic Committee officials took the decision to ban her from mixing with other team members after hearing that her behaviour was becoming a ‘distraction’.
In a statement announcing Alonso’s departure, Paraguayan Olympic chief Larissa Schaerer said: ‘Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay.
‘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.’
While in Paris she also fitted in a visit to Euro Disney – posing with a pair of Mickey Mouse ears
Alonso bumped into Rafael Nadal (right) during the games and shared a snap of the pair on X
Alonso announced her retirement from the sport after failing to reach the semifinals in the pool and has since returned to the US – where she is studying political science.
Before leaving France, however, she stayed at the upmarket Hotel Pastel, close to the Arc de Triomphe, and visited many of the city’s shops and museums.
Alonso also took the chance to watch her tennis heroes from the stands of Roland Garros, seeing Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in action.
In other pictures, posted to her Instagram, the swimmer was seen in front of the Eiffel Tower and the Hotel des Invalides museum that holds the tomb of Napoleon.
In other pictures, posted to her Instagram, the swimmer was seen in front of the Eiffel Tower
She announced she was retiring from swimming without first telling her Olympic chiefs, claiming she had made the decision before flying to France.
'Swimming: thank you for allowing me to dream, you taught me to fight, to try, perseverance, sacrifice, discipline and many more,' she said.
'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.'