Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira has broken her silence after having been sent home from the Paris games after being caught trying to sneak out.
Vieira and her teammate and boyfriend Gabriel Santos were found trying to leave the Olympic Village, which led to the Brazilian Olympic Committee confirming that there would be repercussions.
According to the statements, the two swimmers had left the village, where most athletes for the Paris Games are staying, without their team's knowledge.
This led the Committee, the Technical Commission of the sport, the Team Leader and Brazilian Confederation of Aquatic Sports (CBDA), to come up with a punishment.
The CBDA and the COB went on to decide to give them a warning, however according to the CBDA, athlete Ana Carolina was allegedly disrespectful and aggressive when she opposed the decision, which led to her being sent back to Brazil.
The statement read: "The athlete Ana Carolina, in a disrespectful and aggressive manner, contested a technical decision made by the Brazilian National Swimming Team committee. As a result, Gabriel Santos was given a warning and Ana Carolina Vieira was dismissed from the delegation. She will return to Brazil immediately."
Now, she’s speaking out via her Instagram Stories.
In the three clips, she claimed to have done nothing wrong and to have filed a complaint of harassment with the COB, which she said was allegedly ignored.
Vieira also claims she left the village without getting the chance to gather her belongings, saying: “I left there and left my materials, I didn’t know what to do.”
“My things are there [in the Olympic Village], I went to the airport in shorts. I had to open my suitcase at the airport. I’m in Portugal, I’m going to Recife and then to São Paulo.
“I am helpless, I have had no access to anything, I have not been able to speak to anyone. They told me to contact the COB channels. But how am I going to get in touch?
“I have already filed a complaint of harassment and nothing has been resolved, harassment within the team”
She added: “I will speak to my lawyers. I promise to tell everything. I am sad, nervous, but with a peace of mind because I know who I am, I know what my character and my nature are.
“I hope to be able to defend Brazilian women’s swimming with great pride. I ask for patience, thank you.”
According to UOL, the COB is now investigating the complaint of harassment.
Gustavo Otsuka, Brazil's swimming team leader explained the decision and why her behaviour isn’t acceptable to Reuters.
He said: "We're not here playing or taking a vacation.
“We're here working for Brazil, for the 200 million taxpayers who are working for us. We can't play around here.
"She took a completely inappropriate position to make her point, her dismay, about the formation of the relay.”
He went on to share that it was her alleged aggressive manner that ultimately was her downfall and had her kicked out of the Olympics.
Otsuka continued: "It was during this period that we decided to take this situation to the disciplinary committee, discussed it and took the appropriate action. We ended up finding out through the posts.”
Santos had apparently been eliminated in the heats of the men's 4x100 freestyle and was reprimanded after apologising - with no further action being taken against him, it has been confirmed.
Tyla has contacted the Brazilian Olympic Committee for comment.