Olympic Judge Removed From Surfing Panel After Photo Posing With Competitor In Tahiti Goes Viral, ISA Responds

An Olympic judge has been removed from the 2024 Paris Games' panel after a photo went viral online which the International Surfing Association (ISA) deemed "inappropriate."

The circulating photo shows the judge embracing a participating competitor along the shore's edge in Tahiti this week, per 'Associated Press.'

A commentator shared the photo online featuring Australian judge Benjamin Lowe posing arm-in-arm with Australian surfing athlete Ethan Ewing. The coach of the team, Bede Durbidge, was also in the photo.

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"The ISA is aware of a photo circulating on social media in which one of the Olympic surfing judges from Australia is seen socially interacting with an Australian athlete and the team manager," the ISA said in a statement Thursday. "It is inappropriate for a judge to be interacting in this manner with an athlete and their team."

The association claimed the decision to remove Lowe was made in accordance with the Olympic committee's code of ethics.

Fans on social media also called out the fishy behavior and this year's Olympic Games mishaps.

"Once upon a time we enjoyed the Olympics, now due to outrage and the media bandwagons, most of the Olympic news is salacious gossips and innuendo, sick and tired of it," one user wrote on Twitter, now X.

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"So he's removed for a pic with mates, but a biological male who beats a woman to a pulp & destroys her lifelong dreams is applauded. The Olympic Games are disgraceful!" a second penned, referring to fans slamming Algerian Imane Khelif's Olympic boxing match.

Per the news outlet, Australia's management team has not released any additional statements regarding the controversial matter.