Swimmer Who Was Kicked Out Of Olympic Village Wanted To Represent USA
Luana Alonso, the Paraguayan swimmer who recently stirred controversy with her departure from the Olympic Village, is now expressing a desire to compete for the United States rather than her home country, according to a report from Paraguayan outlet HOY. The 20-year-old swimmer, who had strong ties to the U.S. due to her college education, stated that she would prefer to represent the United States.
In a live video on social media before the Olympics, Alonso expressed her preference for the U.S., citing her collegiate experience at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and her previous season at Virginia Tech University. She noted that the competitive environment in the U.S. better aligned with her athletic goals.
Alonso’s journey to the Olympics was marred by controversy even before she competed. She secured a spot in the women’s 100-metre butterfly event through the universality system, but her relationship with the Paraguayan Olympic Committee (COP) and her teammates was reportedly strained.
In her social media video, Alonso criticized the COP for undermining her achievements and focusing more on sponsorships than on supporting athletes. She accused the committee of attempting to humiliate her by diminishing her qualification and claimed that she felt unsupported and distrusted by her Paraguayan teammates, describing her experience as “not a pleasure.”
COP President Camilo Perez responded to Alonso’s criticisms, emphasizing that her performance did not meet the rigorous standards required to qualify for Team USA. “There is no universality there,” Perez remarked. “She came here as a Paraguayan. She has to improve significantly to compete for the USA; her times need to be much better.”
The situation escalated when Alonso was reportedly expelled from the Olympic Village due to “inappropriate” behavior, which allegedly included a trip to Disneyland and wearing outfits considered distracting to other athletes. Alonso denied these claims, asserting that she had not been disruptive and challenging the reports about her removal.
As the controversy continues, Alonso’s desire to switch allegiance remains a point of contention, reflecting ongoing tensions between her and the Paraguayan Olympic authorities.