Luana Alonso hits back at ‘false’ report she was kicked out of Olympic Village
Paraguayan swimmer had been 'creating an inappropriate atmosphere'
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It is hard to imagine an Olympian who was eliminated on the first day of competition garnering THIS much attention – but then there is Luana Alonso.
The Paraguayan swimmer/influencer has been a big hit at the Games in Paris – apparently so much so that her country’s Olympic brass asked her to leave the Olympic Village.
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Luana Alonso hits back at ‘false’ report she was kicked out of Olympic Village Back to video
However, Alonso now has fired back at those reports, insisting that they are “false information” and that she wasn’t asked to leave.
“I just wanted to make it clear that I was never removed or expelled from anywhere, stop spreading false information,” Alonso posted in her Instagram Stories in Spanish, according to the Daily Beast.
“I don’t want to give any statement but I’m not going to let lies affect me either.”
The message was shared next to a sunset photo as she sipped a beverage.
She had posted a video earlier on Monday while riding in a car, approaching what appeared to be a U.S. border crossing, indicating she had indeed left France.
Alonso’s post doesn’t necessarily jib with the official statement from her team, though, which thanked her for “proceeding as instructed.”
According to Larissa Schaerer, the head of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, Alonso was “creating an inappropriate atmosphere” around the team and was asked to leave the athletes’ dorms.
“Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay,” Schaerer said in a statement.
“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.”
The Daily Mail also reported that Alonso was accused of being a distraction to her fellow competitors with her socializing and attire.
She was often seen sporting stylish outfits as opposed to team uniforms and opted to take a trip to Disneyland Paris instead of cheer on her compatriots.
Alonso, 20, competed in the women’s 100m butterfly on July 27 but finished sixth in her heat with a time of 1:03.09 and didn’t qualify for the semifinals.
After getting bounced, she abruptly announced her retirement from competitive swimming via her Instagram account.
“it’s official! I’m retiring from swimming, thank you all so much for your support!” Alonso wrote. “Sorry Paraguay. I just have to say thank you!”
The added attention from this latest controversy has put a lot more eyes on the former Olympian. Since news of her row with the Paraguayan Olympic committee, Alonso has seen her follower count on Instagram jump from around 500,000 to over 700,000 as of Tuesday morning.
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