Who is Luana Alonso and why was the Paraguayan swim star kicked out of the Paris 2024 Olympics athlete village?
LUANA Alonso was abruptly kicked out from the Paris 2024 Olympics’ athlete village after a controversial trip to Disneyland.
Her early departure attracted significant attention and here is everything you need to know about her and the incident.
Who is Luana Alonso?
Luana Alonso is a competitive swimmer from Paraguay, born on September 19, 2004, and specializes in butterfly stroke events.
She helds the national record holder in the 100m butterfly.
Luana first represented Paraguay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when she was just 17.
The 2024 Paris Olympics marked her second Olympic appearance, where she competed in the Women’s 100m Butterfly but was eliminated in the heats.
In swimming competitions, the heats are the preliminary rounds where swimmers compete to qualify for the next stage.
Throughout her career, Luana has also participated in the Youth Olympic Games, the South American Games, and the World Championships.
Why was Luana Alonso kicked out of the Paris 2024 Olympics athlete village?
Luana Alonso was kicked out from the Paris 2024 Olympics‘ athlete village after leaving to visit Disneyland in Paris, a move that sparked considerable controversy.
Her departure, which came after she spent a night out and failed to support her teammates, led to her early dismissal from the village, despite her original plan to stay until the end of the Olympics.
Luana’s departure was controversial because athletes are expected to remain focused and support their teammates, both crucial for maintaining team unity and morale.
Her absence during a key period was seen as a breach of this code, leading to her early dismissal.
The Paraguayan Olympic Committee said: “Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay.
“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.”
This situation mirrored a similar issue with Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira and her partner Gabriel Santos, who also faced repercussions for sneaking out of their athlete village.
Luana has since announced her retirement from competitive swimming.
She claims the decision was made well before the Olympics and not influenced by her Olympic experience.
In an Instagram post, she shared: “It’s official—I’m retiring from swimming.
“Thank you all for your incredible support! I’m deeply sorry, Paraguay, and I’m grateful for everything.”
She told Claro Sports about her retirement: “People, my decision was made a long time ago!
“It wasn’t because of the games! So nothing, I just have to thank everyone who always supported me.
“It didn’t happen the way I wanted it to.
“I sincerely apologise to Paraguay, but I did what I could, despite several things that happened to me before.
“So, I’m happy and also to retire here with a full stadium and finally have the Olympic Games.”