Eurosport drops Olympic commentator for 'inappropriate' remark - ESPN

PARIS — Eurosport has dropped an Olympic swimming commentator from its Paris coverage for an «inappropriate» comment about women.

British journalist Bob Ballard said on air after Australia won the 4x100-meter freestyle relay Saturday: «Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like… hanging around, doing their makeup.»

Co-commentator Lizzie Simmonds, who swam at the 2012 London Olympics for Britain, reacted on air by describing the comment as «outrageous.»

«During a segment of Eurosport's coverage, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment,» Eurosport said in a statement Sunday, «To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.»

Eurosport, a subsidiary of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, is the main Olympic rights holder in Europe with sublicensing deals to national public networks.

Ballard is a former longtime Olympic broadcaster for the BBC, which has one of those deals to show a limited number of events.