The 20-year-old swimmer Paraguay Luana Alonso drew significant attention during Paris 2024 after being asked to leave the Olympic village.
Despite being a skilled athlete, Alonso’s Olympic journey turned out to be a disappointing one when her behavior seemed inappropriate which resulted in her removal from the team’s accommodations.
Alonso narrowly missed qualifying for the Women’s 100 m butterfly semi-final by 0.24 seconds. However, her conduct outside the pool caused tension within team Paraguay, leading Larissa Schaerer, head of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee to request her departure.
Schaerer highlighted that Alonso chose not to stay in the Athletes’ Village and thanked her for following the instructions. The situation left Paraguayan officials disappointed and worried about the team’s morale.
Earlier in the competition, Alonso announced her retirement from swimming after not advancing beyond the heats in the women’s 100 butterfly event on July 27.
Who is Luana Alonso?
Luana Alonso was born on September 19, 2004, Luana Alonso is a competitive swimmer from Paraguay, specializing in butterfly events. She holds the national record for Paraguay in the 100m butterfly.
She is currently studying at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, USA. She previously attended Virginia Tech, according to a local magazine.
Alonso first competed for Paraguay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at the age of 17, finishing 28th place in the event without advancing to the semifinals.
This will be Alonso’s second appearance in the Olympics. She was eliminated in the heats, finishing sixth. Alonso has also competed in the Youth Olympic Games, South American Games, and World Championships.
Before the Paris Olympics, Alonso reportedly expressed a preference for representing the United States over Paraguay in an Instagram live session. Local media claimed she spent time at Disneyland instead of supporting her Paraguayan teammates.
According to a local magazine, she reported that her behavior, including her attire and interactions with other athletes, was seen as a distraction. Alonso has over 898000 Instagram followers, denied these claims stating, “I was never kicked out or expelled from anywhere. Please stop spreading false information.”
After her Olympic elimination, Alonso confirmed her retirement from Swimming stating, “It was my last race. I am retiring from swimming.”
Also Check: Paris Olympics 2024 Medal Tally
