Olympian sent home from Rio after a night of drinking
In Rio, Olympians can have all the sex they want – but alcohol and partying are another story.
Dutch gymnast Yuri van Gelder was sent home from Rio on Sunday for drinking the previous night and staying out until the early morning.
Netherlands Olympics Committee spokesperson Maurits Hendriks made a statement on the Dutch team's website.
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“It was a very difficult decision for us to make. This is terrible for Yuri, but at such a breach of the values within TeamNL, we have no other choice," Hendriks said, as translated by Yahoo Sports. "We stand for excellence with respect to all agreements and rules. Our athletes have an exemplary standard and this behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Yuri has left us no choice.”
He had been using social media to document his excitement about competing in this year's Olympic Games. His joyful posts are now heartbreaking to read.
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This is not van Gelder's first Olympic near-miss. In 2009, the gymnast tested positive for cocaine and was in turn suspended from competing in the 2012 Olympic Games. He made a triumphant return to Rio this year and was set to compete in the rings final on Saturday.
Topics Olympics
Sophie was a Viral Content Intern for the Watercooler channel. More writing and other stuff by Sophie can be found at www.sophiehirsh.com.
