How glam Paraguay swimming star Luana Alonso upset her Olympics bosses LONG before ‘inappropriate conduct’ row
SWIMMING star Luana Alonso enraged her Olympic bosses long before she was accused of creating an “inappropriate atmosphere”, a new report claims.
The glamourous athlete, 20, was reportedly banished from the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Village over her behaviour and visiting Disneyland.
It was claimed Alonso was “distracting” fellow competitors in the Athletes’ Village – and was wearing racy outfits rather than her official Olympic uniform.
She even allegedly sneaked out to visit Disneyland and checked into fancy hotels in the French capital.
Bosses at the Paraguayan Olympic Committee were left furious over Alonso’s behaviour, with claims suggesting they booted her out and sent her back home.
However, a new report shows how Alonso infuriated her bosses way before this year’s Olympic campaign was even kicked off.
The story published, by Paraguayan media HOY, claims Alonso had stated she would prefer to represent the United States instead of her home country Paraguay.
She was even heard saying she would like to go back to Texas, US – where she studies at uni – rather than going back home.
Alonso reportedly said: “I want to represent the United States more.
“It’s not a pleasure to represent Paraguay and if it were up to me, I would go back to college.”
Camilo Perez, president of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, hit back at Alonso’s statements saying she has to be much better at her sport if she wants to represent the US.
She added: “I read that she wants to compete for the United States.
“There is no universality there. She came here as a Paraguayan. She has to train a lot more to represent the USA, her times have to be much better.”
Alonso currently lives in the US where she attends the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
She is also a swimmer for the local team Dallas Mustangs.
After failing to progress past the women’s 100m butterfly heats in the Summer Games campaign by a mere 0.24 seconds, Alonso called time on her career and announced her retirement.
She told her 310,000 Instagram followers: “It’s official now! I’m retiring from swimming, thank you all so much for the support.
“Sorry Paraguay, I only have to thank you!”
Alonso, who competed at the Tokyo Games at the age of 17, also furiously hit back at reports she was kicked out of the Paris Olympics over “inappropriate behaviour”.
She said she was never expelled from the country’s Olympic campaign – and urged fans not to spread the misinformation.
In a social media post, she 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 revealed in an Instagram story that she was back in the US.
She posted a short clip of herself in a car that had an American flag waving outside, MailOnline reports.
What's on at the Olympics today?
Day 11 schedule (Tuesday, August 6)
All times BST/ET
- 09:00/04:00 Equestrian: Jumping individual final
- 14:00/09:00 Diving: W’s 10m platform final
- 14:40/14:40 Sailing: Men’s dinghy medal race
- 16:30/11:30 Skateboarding: W’s park final, Sailing: W’s Dinghy medal race
- 17:00/12:00 Football: W’s semi-final 1
- 18:55/13:55 Track cycling: M’s sprint final, Wrestling: M’s Greco-Roman 60kg final
- 19:00/14:00 Track cycling: M’s team sprint final, Athletics: W’s hammer throw final
- 19:15/14:15 Athletics: M’s long jump final
- 19:30/14:30 Wrestling: M’s Greco-Roman 130kg final
- 19:50/14:50 Athletics: M’s 1500m final
- 20:00/15:00 Football: W’s semi-final 2
- 20:10/15:10 Athletics: W’s 3000m steeple final
- 20:15/15:15 Wrestling: W’s freestyle 68kg final
- 20:40/15:40 Athletics: W’s 200m final
- 22:00/17:00 Boxing: W’s -60kg final
TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
One of the most highly-anticipated spectacles of Paris 2024 is the 1500m men’s final (7.50pm) – will it be gold for either Josh Kerr or Jakob Ingebrigtsen in their epic rivalry?
World champion Sky Brown, now 16, wants to upgrade her Tokyo bronze to Paris gold in the women’s park skateboarding final but is battling back from a dislocated shoulder (4.30pm).
Ben Maher on board Dallas Vegas Batilly is into the final of the individual jumping equestrian alongside Harry Charles and Scott Brash after coming through the 74-rider qualifying and could defend his Tokyo gold after already securing the team title in Paris (9am).
BRITS TO WATCH
Jack Laugher goes in the 3m springboard diving preliminaries with Jordan Houlden (9am) before Andrea Spendolini Sirieix goes in the 10m platform final (2pm).
Lewis Richardson is already guaranteed a bronze in the 71kg boxing but has his semi-final at Roland Garros at 8.45pm.
The women’s 200m gives Dina Asher-Smith a chance to make up for her disappointing 100m result (final 8.40pm).
Jack Carlin, Ed Lowe and Hamish Turnbull team up in the track cycling men’s team sprint today with the final at 7.10pm, hoping to wrestle back the gold they won in Beijing, London and Rio.
GLOBAL STARS TODAY
Emma Hayes’ USA women’s football team face Germany in the semi-final in Lyon (5pm).
Kellie Harrington will go for back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the ring with the Irish star’s 60kg final vs China’s Yang Wenlu at 10pm – two bouts after Imane Khelif’s 66kg semi-final.
FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
It wouldn’t be the Olympics without some wrestling would it?
There is both freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines throughout the day at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
STATS MAD
A Hoy Where? For the first time since Atlanta 1996, the Team GB cycling track team will neither feature a certain Sir Chris Hoy nor Sir Jason Kenny. Just the 16 Olympic medals between those two legends, 13 of them gold.