Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso who made headlines for her controversial departure from the Olympic Village wants to compete for the United States instead of her home country, a report said.
According to Paraguayan outlet HOY, 20-year-old Alonso had expressed her preference for representing the United States, citing her strong ties to the country where she attended college. “I want to represent the United States more,” Alonso allegedly stated during a live video on social media before the Olympics.
Alonso swam for Southern Methodist University (SMU) after spending the 2021-2022 season at Virginia Tech University. The swimmer said that the more competitive environment in the US was a better fit for her aspirations.
Her Olympic journey was marred by controversy even before she entered the pool. Alonso qualified for the women’s 100-metre butterfly event through the universality system. Despite this achievement, her relationship with the Paraguayan Olympic Committee (COP) and her teammates seemed fraught with tension.
During her social media video, Alonso did not hold back in criticising the COP’s treatment of its athletes. She accused the committee of undermining her achievements and relying heavily on sponsors rather than providing adequate support. “They threaten me that they are going to publish a statement, that I am going to leave because of universality,” she said, adding that the COP sought to humiliate her by downplaying her qualification. Alonso also voiced her frustration with the lack of support and trust from her Paraguayan teammates, claiming that it was “not a pleasure” to represent her country.
COP President Camilo Perez responded sharply to Alonso’s comments, pointing out that her performance would not meet the rigorous standards required to qualify for the Olympics as part of Team USA. “There is no universality there. She came here as a Paraguayan. She has to train a lot more to represent the USA; her times have to be much better,” Perez said.
The controversy escalated further when Alonso was reportedly expelled from the Olympic Village due to “inappropriate” conduct that allegedly included a trip to Disneyland and wearing revealing outfits that were deemed distracting to other athletes. In a statement, Alonso denied the claims about her removal, pushing back against the reports and maintaining that she had not been a disruption.
