- The 20-year-old retired from the sport shortly after her performance in Paris.
- Alonso is believed to have returned to the United States, where he is studying.
- The COP mission chief called her athlete’s attention after his hurried exit from the complex
Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso has reappeared after being expelled from the Olympic Village for creating an “inappropriate environment” with her behaviour.
The glamorous athlete went viral on social media during the two-week competition despite failing to qualify for the semi-finals in her 100m butterfly event in Paris.
But Alonso’s newfound notoriety had more to do with his hasty departure from the French capital.
Team bosses are believed to have had a problem with the swimmer because she distracted her teammates, scheduled trips to Paris away from the village and wore her own clothes instead of team uniforms.
Alonso herself posted a message on social media in which she said that she “did not want to make any statements” but that “I was not going to let lies affect me either.”
Paraguayan Olympian Luana Alonso shared that she returned to the gym after a hectic period in the French capital
The 20-year-old caused a sensation three years after her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games.
Alonso was criticised by his country’s Olympic committee for creating an “inappropriate atmosphere” in the Olympic village.
The 20-year-old has since returned to social media to post a photo of herself back in competitive mode at the gym.
Alonso tagged her athletic sponsor in the post, which seemed to suggest she was preparing to return to the pool.
But the swimmer retired from the discipline shortly after completing her participation in the Games.
Alonso previously swam for Southern Methodist University and Virginia Tech at the collegiate level.
‘Swimming: thank you for allowing me to dream, you taught me to fight, to try, to be persistent, to sacrifice, to be disciplined and much more,’ Alonso posted two weeks ago, three years after competing in her first Olympic Games in Tokyo.
During his stay in Paris, Alonso left the Olympic complex to explore the city.
The swimmer is believed to have angered Paraguayan authorities with a trip to Disneyland Paris.
Alonso also collected a series of selfies with famous faces, including tennis icon Rafael Nadal.
‘I gave you part of my life and I wouldn’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 in my heart, unique opportunities.
“It’s not a goodbye, it’s a see you soon.”
Alonso’s early departure from the Olympic Village, which the retired athlete has insisted was her decision, remains shrouded in mystery.
Speaking to Le Parisien last week, Paraguay’s Olympic Committee said the swimmer had withdrawn of her own free will, but insisted the youngster had made other athletes and the country’s delegation feel uncomfortable.
But Alonson was quick to insist that she had not been asked to leave, but that she had chosen to do so.
The college student, who resides in the United States, is believed to have gone home early.
Paraguay’s Olympic officials have insisted that there is no “major drama” over Alonso’s escapades
A representative for the committee told the French outlet: “She retired from swimming and that’s why she left. She was never excluded.”
‘When he stopped, he began to behave in an individualistic manner and not as a team member.
“That’s what made the other athletes and the delegation feel uncomfortable. That’s all. There’s no big drama.”
But a stronger statement issued by COP mission head Larissa Schaerer said Alonso’s presence had been “creating an inappropriate atmosphere within the Paraguay team.”