Brazilian swimmer seeks lawyer help after being dismissed from Olympics

After Brazil was eliminated early in the 4x100m freestyle relay, Vieira and her boyfriend Gabriel Santos sneaked out of the Olympic Village to hang out in Paris at night on July 26.

Vieira then insulted and humiliated BOC members when they confronted her. BOC described Vieira’s attitude as “disrespectful, defiant and aggressive”, so she was immediately removed from the Brazil sports delegation at the 2024 Olympics and was asked to fly home on July 27, Reuters reported.

Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira poses with the Eiffel Tower after arriving in Paris for the Olympics, July 2024. Photo by Instagram/@_anavieeiraa

But in a video posted on Instagram on July 30, Vieira insisted that she had done nothing wrong, and had filed a harassment complaint to BOC, but was ignored.

“I can’t reach out to anyone or talk to anyone,” the 22-year-old said. “They told me to contact BOC, but I can’t call or meet anyone. I filed a complaint about harassment, but it hasn’t been resolved. I’m going to talk to my lawyer and promise to tell everything. I’m sad worried, but calm because I know who I am.”

Vieira alleged that she wasn’t even allowed to retrieve her personal belongings from the Olympic Village and had to return to Brazil immediately.

“I had to wear shorts to the airport,” she added.

Vieira won a silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. She also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, also in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, finishing 12th.

At the 2024 World Championships, Vieira, along with Maria Fernanda Costa, Stephanie Balduccini and Aline Rodrigues, finished sixth in the 4x100m freestyle, equalling Brazil’s best result at the World Championships in this event.

Brazilian swimmers Ana Carolina Vieira and Gabriel Santos. Photo by Instagram/@_anavieeiraa

Vieira’s boyfriend, Gabriel Santos, is also a Brazilian swimmer and was eliminated early in the 4x100m freestyle relay. After being caught on the night out with Vieira, he apologized to the BOC, but was still dismissed. Santos has competed in the last three Olympics, with his best result being fifth place in the 4x100m freestyle relay with Brazil at Rio 2016.

Vieira and Santos are considered the “golden couple” of Brazilian swimming and have attracted a large social media following. On Instagram, Vieira has 25,000 followers, while Santos has 15,000.