'Equal Games'? Not with sexist dinosaurs on the mic

When organisers of the Paris Olympics decided to bill it as the "equal Games" - in celebration of the fact that, for the first time, women make up 50 per cent of the competitors - the claim was always going to come in for scrutiny. But it found itself severely tested on day two, and by a commentator who should have known better.

- GEMMA ABBOTT

Having secured gold in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, the Australian quartet of Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack, Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris made their way out of the Paris Aquatic Centre. It was then that Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard said: “Well, the women, just finishing up. You know what women are like… hanging around, doing their makeup…”

The outrageous comment went viral instantly, and Ballard was subsequently removed from Eurosport’s broadcasting roster. Sports commentary is an art form. It takes a sharp mind and a keen eye to encapsulate a moment for an audience, to translate the action in a sports arena to the listener or viewer.

Ballard has had a long and successful career in commentating. The BBC has described him as “a stalwart of global sports coverage since the 1980s, reporting on multiple Olympic Games and world championships”. So, with all that experience behind him, what part of Ballard suddenly made him feel it was acceptable to make such an obviously sexist comment?