In news from Paris this week, Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard has been asked to step down from his Olympic duties following a controversial comment he made about swimmers in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team.
Top-of-the-game swimmers and athletes Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris all competed on Saturday in the 4x100m freestyle event, winning gold and making history with their fourth consecutive gold.
While commentating on their victory, Ballard said: “Well, the women are just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their makeup.”
His fellow host, Lizzie Simmonds quickly responded to her co-host, branding his comment as "outrageous." And swiftly after, Eurosport, Ballard's employer, announced their decision to ask him to step back from Olympic commentary for the foreseeable.
In a statement, they shared: “During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment. To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”
Eurosport have now dropped Bob Ballard as swimming commentator following this sexist remark yesterday.“Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their makeup.” pic.twitter.com/UWYMiiVNpdJuly 29, 2024
The clip has quickly gained traction on social media and the comment has fiercely divided opinion. Many branded Ballard's comments as sexist and derogatory, saying his comments were "setting women's sports back" and "a solid example of casual sexism." One X user, Emily Benammar, wrote: "Bob Ballard, hang your head in shame. Get off the broadcast and back to the 1930s... He’s used a sexist slur as the Aussie women RIGHTLY celebrated together," while another X user shared: "You are a public commentator on the world stage, not down the pub having a pint with your mates. The belittling comment came so easily and thoughtlessly out of your mouth it would seem being an "advocate" for women's sport has its limits."
But others were quick to leap to his defence, with Matthew Camenzuli sharing: "Hey Eurosport, men and women are different. If it was a woman making a joke about how men don't clean up after themselves, which they don't, she would still have a job. Reinstate Bob Ballard. If we can't joke, life is very boring."
When I myself took to X to ask experts for their take on the controversy, I received a few - frankly shocking - replies that, as a Health Editor with extensive experience in sports reporting and commentary, really sum up the issue perfectly.
The first reply was simply a link to a GoFundMe page with the title, "Give Bob Ballard His Job Back!".
The second, an anonymous user going by the name of Doctor P, who shared: "Sexist joke? Oh - you mean all jokes about women are sexist - in the same way that all men are rapists? Where's the bloke love? The one we talk to about serious matters... Get us a cup of tea - two sugars. "
But the worst came from an anonymous user, who replied: "The joke is actually female sports… it's like a B league for regular mens."
And herein lies the problem. The comment he made - whether derogatory or not - seems to have opened the floodgates for undoubtedly sexist comments to inundate the Internet.
Despite this year being the first-ever gender-equal Olympics, there have historically been multiple examples of women being treated as "lesser" athletes or having to abide by rules that men don't. AS an example, women were first allowed to compete in the marathon distance in 1984, just 40 years ago.
This year, women have been banned from wearing hijabs to compete in. And last Olympic games, the Norweigan women's beach handball team were fined £1,300 for competing in shorts rather than bikini bottoms while the men quite happily competed in shorts. The European Handball Federation called the women's shorts "improper" at the time.
That same year, two-time Paralympic world champ Olivia Breen was told her shorts were "too revealing" and swimmer Alice Dearing was criticised for her swimming cap, one designed to fit her afro hair, as swimmers "don't require caps of such size."
Speaking to sports sociologist Bethan Taylor-Swaine, she shares: "Despite claims of equality and growing respect for women's sport, sport remains a sphere that's heavily influenced by sexism and discrimination. Competitive sport itself is predicated on differences and the performance of the body. Couple that with a history that prioritised displays of masculinity as the primary purpose of sport and the systematic exclusion of women (especially in sports where they proved successful, I'm thinking specifically of football here), and it's unsurprising that despite all the progress, we've made blatant sexism rears its head time and again. "
"Ballard's comments are inexcusable and expose the continued culture of sexism in sport. Women in sport are constantly expected to confirm their femininity in a bid to offset the idea that sport is a masculinising pursuit. They are frequently asked about their personal lives before their sporting achievements, which may be overlooked in favour of men's, often inferior, accomplishments."
"It also reflects the sexism women face in wider society. Misogyny and violence against women are significant issues and we see time and again sexist and regressive stereotypes employed to undermine women. With this in mind, it's not a shock a sports commentator felt it was ok to say something sexist for the world to hear."
The bottom line is this: any distraction from the undeniable talent of these athletes does them a disservice. We should be focusing on their record-breaking achievement, not their gender. All athletes need to be shown respect and fair treatment after four gruelling years of work to get their chance to perform on the world stage. Stereotypes only set us back, and in 2024, we should be doing better.
