OLYMPIC sprinter Ewa Swoboda had fans scratching their heads last week when she corrected her salute to the camera.
The 27-year-old Polish star was being filmed during her warm-up for the first round heats of the Women’s 100m in Paris when her gesture to the TV cameras went viral online.
At first I didn't understand and at the end I didn't either.
— Figen (@TheFigen_) August 3, 2024
What happened there?pic.twitter.com/SPZYmvBPps
Swoboda saluted the camera to say hello, but after using her right hand to make the salute she quickly corrected herself and used her left instead.
Many fans were left confused by the change, wondering what difference it made to salute with her left hand rather than her right.
But others felt they had the answer for the unusual switch up, suggesting it is something do with MILITARY.
On social media one wrote: “Saluting to the right is for military. She caught her mistake and then saluted from the left.”
While another added: “Military salute vs civilian greeting.”
And a third explained: “Military salute is with the right hand. So, she switches to her left to say hello.”
According to a document on the US Department of Defense website, Army and Air Force customs only permit right-handed salutes.
Swoboda unfortunately failed to make the Women’s 100m final after finishing fourth in her semi-final heat, bringing her solo events at the Olympic games to a close.
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But she still managed to capture the hearts of fans at home after her viral clip.
The sprinting superstar is an eight-time Polish champion, three-time European Indoor Championships medallist and a two time silver medal winner at the European Championships.
While she has also boasts over 700,000 Instagram followers where she shows off her athletics-filled lifestyle as well as posting pictures from her photoshoots as a model.
Swoboda has become such a hero in recent years and an inspiration to so many sports fans that she even earned herself her own BARBIE DOLL in May of this year.
The plastic immortalisation of the runner came as part of the Mattel’s collection of Barbie Role Models dolls.
Swoboda joined the likes of Venus Williams and Canadian football star Christine Sinclair in the eight-woman collection.
Her doll even sported her iconic tattoos that make her recognisable on the track.
Swoboda is expected to take part in the Women’s 4x100m relay for Poland later this week.
