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Luana Alonso is a Paraguayan swimmer who was believed to have been kicked out from the Olympic Village at Paris Olympics 2024 for reportedly creating an ‘inappropriate atmosphere’. However, the swimmer has now claimed that she wasn't expelled from the Village.
Alonso has competed in the women's 100m butterfly at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She competed in the same event at the Paris Olympics 2024 but failed to qualify for the semifinals. The 20-year-old finished sixth in heat 1 of the competition, clocking a time of 1:03.09.
Following her exit, it was reported that the swimmer had been kicked out of the Olympic Village for making her teammates uncomfortable. Paraguay Olympic Committee's boss Larissa Schaerer said (via Independent):
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“Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay. We thank her for proceeding as instructed, as it was of her own free will that she did not spend the night in the Athletes’ Village.”
However, Luana Alonso has now claimed that she wasn't expelled from the Village and that false information was being spread about her.
“I just wanted to clarify that I was never kicked out or expelled from anywhere, please stop spreading false information. I don’t want to make any statement but I’m not going to let lies affect me either," she said on Monday via her Instagram story.
The 20-year-old earlier announced on her Instagram handle that she was retiring from the sport. However, she clarified in another post that ‘it's not goodbye, it's see you soon’.
"Swimming: thank you for allowing me to dream, you taught me to fight, to try, perseverance, sacrifice, discipline and many more. I gave you part of my life and I don't change it for anything in the world because I lived the best experiences of my life, you gave me thousands of joys, friends from other countries that I will always carry them in my heart, unique opportunities. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon," Alonso wrote.
More about Luana Alonso
Luana Alonso was born in Asuncion, Paraguay on March 19, 2004. With a height of 170 cm and weight of 60 Kg, she competes in the 50m, 100m, and 200m butterfly events.
Alonso is currently pursuing her studies in the United States and is part of the swimming and diving team of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She has spent a semester at the Virginia Tech University as well. Alonso previously competed in the NCAA D1 Championships and earned All-Conference Honors in six events. She holds several Paraguayan records in the women's category, including 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly, and 100m butterfly.
Luana Alonso allegedly wanted to compete for the USA at the Paris Olympics
Although it is unlikely that the 20-year-old would have made the U.S. team in the 100m butterfly with the time she posted at the Olympics, Luana Alonso reportedly wanted to represent the USA at the Paris Olympics 2024. According to Paraguayan news outlet HOY, during a live video on social media, Alonso said she wanted to represent the USA.
“I want to represent the United States more,” she reportedly said.
