A sports broadcaster has come under fire after making sexist comments during a women’s tennis match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The remarks were made during a Tuesday, July 30, doubles match between France’s Caroline Garcia and Diane Parry and Italy’s Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.
“On the left, there’s Sara Errani, who’s the boss,” a commentator from the private French-Monégasque radio station RMC said. “She does everything: the washing up, the cooking up, the mopping up.”
Both the French association of women sports journalists and the union of sports journalists in France have condemned the comments. In a Thursday, August 1, joint statement, the unions said that “sexist and misogynistic comments have no place in an international competition.”
Although the unions did not explicitly request consequences for the radio personality, they pointed out that Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard was fired after making a sexist remark during a women’s swimming event at the Paris Olympics late last month.
As the athletes exited the pool deck after the Saturday, July 27, freestyle relay, Ballard said, “You know what women are like … hanging around, you know, doing their makeup.”
Ballard’s co-commentator and former Olympic swimmer Lizzie Simmonds replied, “Outrageous, Bob. … Some of the men are doing that as well, I’ll have you know.”
On Monday, July 29, Eurosport confirmed in a statement to The Independent that Ballard had been fired.
“During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment,” the network said. “To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”
Ballard, for his part, took to social media to apologize for his words.
“The comments I made during the Australian freestyle relay victory ceremony on Saturday have caused some offence. It was never my intention to upset or belittle anyone and, if I did, I apologise. I am a massive advocate of women’s sport,” he wrote via X on Monday. “I shall miss the Eurosport team dearly and wish them all the best for the rest of the Olympics. No further comment will be issued. Thank you.”
Ballard also assured his followers that Simmonds was not part of the decision to fire him.
“P.s. Don’t pile in on @LizzieSimmonds – please! She has nothing to do with this,” he wrote in a subsequent tweet.
While comparing Ballard’s controversy to the RMC commentator’s remarks on Thursday, the French association of women sports journalists and the union of sports journalists in France said, “We note that elsewhere in Europe, when there is a slip-up, there are sanctions.”
