Olympic Games commentator Bob Ballard has urged people not to ‘pile on’ his co-presenter Lizzie Simmonds after he was axed from Eurosport for making a ‘sexist’ remark.
Ballard, 64, lost his spot as a commentator last night after he said the Australian 4x100m freestyle female relay team were late to leave the swimming venue because they were ‘doing their make-up’.
The former BBC pundit said: ‘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 apologies. I am a massive advocate of women’s sport. I shall miss the Eurosport team dearly and wish them all the best for the rest of the Olympics.’
‘P.s. don’t pile on Lizzie Simmonds – please!’ he added. ‘She has nothing to do with this.’
Former Olympic swimmer Ms Simmonds, who was sat alongside Ballard on the commentators bench, slammed the comment as ‘outrageous’ as they broadcasted live, causing Ballard to chuckle.
Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard has been removed from the Olympics after his comment
Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris of Team Australia with their medals after the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final at Paris La Defense Arena on Saturday
Eursport commentators, with Ballard pictured left, and Simmonds pictured right
Ballard went on to urge people not pile on Lizzie Simmonds, adding ‘she has nothing to do with this’
He also called for people not to ‘pile on’ his fellow commentator Liz Simmonds adding: ‘P.S. Don’t pile on Lizzie Simmonds – please! She had nothing to do with this.’
Australia’s quartet Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, Mollie O’Calloghan and Meg Harris won gold on Saturday at the Paris Aquatic Centre.
But as they made their way out to collect their medals, Ballard said: ‘Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like… hanging around, doing their make-up.’
The clip quickly went viral causing outrage amongst some with Eurosport quickly removing Ballard from their coverage.
‘During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment,’ a statement from the broadcaster read last night.
‘To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.’
The embarrassing remark comes as Paris organisers have promoted the event as ‘The Equal Games’, with the IOC celebrating the fact that women now make up 50 percent of its participants.
Those watching the Olympics were divided over Ballard’s remarks, while some called him to go other’s blasted the decision from Eurosport claiming ‘it was just a joke’.
From left to right: Emma Mckeon, Meg Harris, Shayna Jack and Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia
Some on social slammed the decision as a ‘ludicrous’ example of cancel culture
‘When will these people ever learn?’ asked Loughborough University’s Professor Pragya Agarwal on X. ‘Why aren’t they being given some training?’
‘Bob Ballard hang your head in shame and get off the broadcast and back to the 1930s,’ one fan wrote on X.
The majority of MailOnline readers – 72 per cent – have backed Ballard disagreeing that it was a ‘sexist statement’.
A further 23 per cent backed Eurosport’s decision, agreeing that it was a ‘sexist statement’ while 5 per cent of the 55,000 respondents said they were not sure.
Messages of support for Ballard were also on flooding in on his X profile today, with one saying it was a ‘ludicrous cancellation’ and another bemoaning the ‘extreme injustice dealt to you by the woke mind virus brigade’.
A third wrote: ‘Countless hours of commentary, trying to keep things interesting and entertaining, sometimes when not much happening. And then removed for one misjudged comment. A chance to apologise would have seemed more proportionate. Take care Bob.’
Born in September 1959, Ballard has a career spanning over four decades and has been commentating since the mid-1980s on sports including swimming, diving, ice hockey, tennis, basketball, water polo, football, and cricket.
Ballard has said he did not intend to ‘upset or belittle anyone’, as he apolgises for a ‘sexist’ remark he made about Australia’s female swimmers
Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris celebrate in Paris
He founded a production company called RHB Productions Ltd which is based in Dorchester, Dorset, and has also worked as a music and news presenter on BBC local radio.
He has also previously said that at the BBC, he encountered ‘a lot of negative things when people found out I was gay’.
It is not the first time, however, that Ballard has had a run-in on air. In 2005 at the World Championships in Montreal he was blasted for being ‘the most negative journalist’.
‘I duly went to the interview position and spent a few awkward minutes on live TV being lambasted by the national performance director, who accused me of being the most negative journalist,’ Ballard told Swimming.org in 2019.
‘That came as a surprise to the swimmers, who had always considered me very sympathetic and objective. It was used on Breakfast News, both BBC and ITV the next morning, and I’ve never been allowed to forget it by the coaches who were around in 2005.’
