AN Olympic judge has been sent home after he took an “inappropriate” photo with two athletes.
The controversial pic was taken on the coast of Tahiti – where the Paris Olympics’ surfing category is being staged.
Ben Lowe was captured posing and smiling with fellow Aussies Ethan Ewing and Bede Durbidge – who were competing in the events he was officiating.
The image was captioned: “These three Straddie [Stradbroke Island] Boys doing their stuff at the Olympics.”
It caught the attention of social media users, presumably including competing athletes and fans, which sparked swift action from the International Surfing Association (ISA).
Lowe was then sent home for breaching impartiality rules.
It’s not the first time the judge has been accused of bias.
Some Brazilian fans previously criticised Lowe for comments about surfing world champion Gabriel Medina.
Speaking to Stab about Lowe being sent home, a Brazilian team official said: “This is good for us. If there’s no photo, nothing probably happens.
“But the situation is clearly not right.”
The judge’s removal was conducted in accordance with the ISA’s code of conduct and the International Olympic Committee‘s code of ethics, ISA said.
It said: “It is inappropriate for a judge to be interacting in this manner with an athlete and their team.”
It’s not clear who uploaded the image to Instagram.
Surfing became an Olympic sport in Tokyo 2020 following years of campaigning.
It comes as Aussie surfer Jack Robinson nearly drowned and had to be dramatically rescued during his Olympics heat.
Things nearly ended in disaster as a storm hit the venue 9,800 miles from the Eiffel Tower on Monday.
The treacherous conditions led to Robinson being thrown off his board as he tried to ride a huge wave.
His opponent John John Florence was also dumped into the South Pacific Ocean at the same time.
Robinson, 26, disappeared into the wash and worried officials rushed to him on jetskis to pull him out the sea.
He was helped on board and thankfully the Aussie star was OK.
But Robinson admitted after recovering to win his heat against Florence that he could have drowned.
He said: “Where I was on the inside between where the two waves collide on the right of the channel, and left of the way we’re surfing, that is the most dangerous place in the whole world.
“It’s another level when you are in there – but you try talking with God and just be safe.
“I didn’t get much air. There wasn’t much time.
“I got reminded of so many guys who have had so many bad wipe-outs here.
“I have had some pretty bad wipe-outs but in a contest it’s different. You have way more adrenaline and there is way more on the line.
“Going back out was a test of physicality and spirit.
“We are in an ocean. It is the biggest, most powerful source of life we have on this planet.
“The waves are so powerful. It doesn’t relate to any other sport.
“Maybe an avalanche coming down on your head on a mountain. Maybe it’s similar to that. It’s so dangerous and so crazy.”
Surfers usually deal with waves two or three metres high – yet they can be as high as seven metres.
How is it scored?
A panel of five judges scores rides out of 10 points and a surfer’s best two waves are combined to give a total out of 20.
Points can be deducted if they get an interference – such as getting in the way of another surfer who has priority.
There are no particular points for a given manoeuvre, but taking on the biggest, most intense waves and riding inside the barrel – where the wave breaks – for the longest time will score favourably.
Why is it in Tahiti?
While nearly every other sport is being competed over in Paris, the European climate and glaring lack of a beach means this event has been outsourced to a warmer part of the world.
France’s surfing beaches are usually flat in the summer, while Tahiti, located in French Polynesia, has huge swells out of the south Pacific throughout the southern hemisphere winter which then hits the reefs at Teahupo’o, creating stunning waves perfect for the Olympics.
