Ana Carolina Vieira is speaking out after her time in Paris came to an unexpected end.
The Brazilian swimmer was sent home early from the 2024 Olympics on July 28 after she and boyfriend Gabriel Santos, a fellow Team Brazil swimmer, left the Olympic Village without permission.
“How a communication failure destroyed my Olympic dream,” Ana wrote on Instagram, translated from Portuguese, alongside a video explanation August 1. “Discipline, determination and education are my pillars as a high performance athlete.”
As the 22-year-old explained in the video, she “received a lot of negative messages, but also a lot of positive messages, mainly from the people that know me.”
Ana reassured her fans that she’s “as OK as I can be,” but was very saddened by the whole experience.
Still, she’s looking ahead, adding, “But everything is going to be solved at the right time.”
The Olympian also noted that she considers herself a “high performance athlete,” and was raised to know the importance of respect and politeness because her parents were both in the military.
