Sacked Olympic commentator Bob Ballard has hit back after being sent home for a “sexist” comment about Australia’s female swimmers, saying his bosses “overreacted” to the incident.
Sacked Olympic commentator Bob Ballard has criticised his bosses after he was sent home over a “sexist” comment about Australian swimmers.
Ballard, 64, lost his spot as commentator after he said the Australian women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team were late leaving the pool because they were “touching up their make-up”.
Australian quartet Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, Mollie O’Calloghan and Meg Harris won gold at the Paris Aquatic Centre on Saturday.
But as they walked out to collect their medals, Ballard said, “Well, the women just finished. You know how women are… hanging around, doing their makeup.”
The clip quickly went viral and caused outrage among some, with Eurosport quickly removing Ballard from their coverage.
But the canceled world-class swimming and diving commentator criticized his employers for what he called a “massive overreaction.”
Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard was kicked out of the Olympics after his comment
From left to right: Emma Mckeon, Meg Harris, Shayna Jack and Mollie O’Callaghan from Australia
Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris of Team Australia with their medals after the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final at the Paris La Defense Arena on Saturday
Eurosport commentators, with Ballard pictured on the left and Simmonds pictured on the right
Speaking to Carol Vorderman on LBC, Ballard said his joke was ‘old fashioned’
In conversation with Carol Vorderman about LBChe said: ‘Yes, I’ve been overwhelmed by the response I’ve had from the British public.
“It was a throwaway line. Some people would say it was old-fashioned.
“Bob, you’re an old fart,” whatever. It was never meant to offend, it was never meant to upset anyone.
“I think there’s been a huge overreaction from my employers. I’m obviously dealing with it the best I can.”
Former Olympic swimmer Lizzie Simmonds, who was sitting next to Ballard on the commentators’ bench, called the comment “outrageous” when it aired live, prompting laughter from Ballard.
He asked people not to offend Ms Simmonds, then said: ‘It was never my intention to hurt or belittle anyone. If that was the case, I apologise.
“I am a huge supporter of women’s sport. I will miss the Eurosport team immensely and wish them all the best for the rest of the Olympic Games.”
‘P.s. don’t bother Lizzie Simmonds – please!’ he added. ‘She has nothing to do with this.’
The embarrassing comment came as organizers in Paris promoted the event as “The Equal Games,” with the IOC celebrating the fact that women now make up 50 percent of competitors.
Olympic viewers were divided over Ballard’s comments, with some calling for him to go, others fiercely criticizing Eurosport’s decision, claiming “it was just a joke.”
The majority of MailOnline readers – 72 per cent – support Ballard and disagree that it is a ‘sexist statement’.
Ballard said it was not his intention to “hurt or disparage anyone,” but he criticized his bosses
Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris celebrate in Paris
A further 23 percent supported Eurosport’s decision, calling it a “sexist statement”, while 5 percent of the 55,000 respondents said they were unsure.
Ballard was born in September 1959 and has had a career spanning over forty years. Since the mid-1980s he has commentated on sports including swimming, diving, ice hockey, tennis, basketball, water polo, football and cricket.
He set up a production company called RHB Productions Ltd, based in Dorchester, Dorset, and also worked as a music and news presenter on local BBC radio.
He previously said that he encountered ‘a lot of negative things at the BBC when people found out I was gay’.
However, it is not the first time that Ballard has had a run-in on the radio. In 2005, during the world championships in Montreal, he was criticized as “the most negative journalist.”
“I went into the interview position and spent an uncomfortable few minutes on live television being lambasted by the national performance director, who accused me of being the most negative journalist,” Ballard told Swimming.org in 2019.
‘That was a surprise to the swimmers, who always found me very likeable and objective. It was used the next morning on Breakfast News, both BBC and ITV, and I have never been allowed to forget it because of the coaches who were there in 2005.’
