July 25, 2012

Athlete Dropped from Olympics for Twitter Joke: Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristo has been expelled from the Olympics for using Twitter to support a far-right party and make this comment Sunday: "So many Africans in #Greece at least West Nile mosquitoes will eat homemade food." Though she apologized for what she called a joke, her country's Olympic federation gave her the heave-ho and said she "placed outside the Olympic team for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement."

posted by rcade to olympics at 10:50 AM - 6 comments

You can't really blame Greece for not wanting her to represent them, which is what Olympians are doing.

posted by bperk at 12:02 PM on July 25, 2012

support a far-right party

You mean she also posted Youtube videos in support of "Golden Dawn," the neo-nazi movement in Greece. The party that in the last elections went with the slogan "So we can rid this land of filth."

At least have the decency to think you belong to a superior race and medal in international competition.

*slow golf clap* Buh-bye.

posted by phaedon at 05:41 PM on July 25, 2012

Thanks for that information. That certainly makes her expulsion more understandable.

posted by rcade at 06:23 PM on July 25, 2012

You mean she also posted Youtube videos in support of "Golden Dawn," the neo-nazi movement in Greece. The party that in the last elections went with the slogan "So we can rid this land of filth."

Even more disturbing are reports of Greek police looking the other way (sometimes literally) as Golden Dawn commits violence against immigrants, not to mention allegations of police collusion.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:16 AM on July 26, 2012

Some more Golden Dawn goodness.

posted by phaedon at 02:28 PM on July 26, 2012

Yeah, because all those immigrants in Greece totally lied about the state of the national accounts for years so they could join the Eurozone.

posted by owlhouse at 08:59 PM on July 26, 2012

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