Bob Ballard Removed from Eurosport for Sexist Remark

Bob Ballard, a veteran commentator for Eurosport, was fired after making a sexist remark during the 2024 Olympic coverage of the Australian women's 4x100m freestyle relay victory. He stated, "You know what women are like... hanging around, doing their make-up," which drew immediate backlash, including a response from his co-commentator Lizzie Simmonds, who called the comment 'outrageous.' Eurosport swiftly removed Ballard from their commentary roster, emphasizing that his comments were inappropriate. Ballard later apologized, expressing that it was never his intention to offend and urged people not to criticize Simmonds for his remarks. His comments sparked outrage on social media, highlighting ongoing issues of sexism in sports commentary. The incident occurred during a time when the Olympics is being celebrated for gender equality, with women making up half of the athletes participating.