- Moment occurred in women’s 200m freestyle semifinal
- Fans watching at home remarked on the ‘creepy’ situation
Swimming fans watching the Paris Olympics were left shocked by an unfortunate graphic at the end of the women’s 200m freestyle semifinal on Monday.
Team USA’s Claire Weinstein won first in the semifinal heat with a time of 1:55.24 on Sunday at the Paris La Défense Arena ahead of Czech star Barbora Seemanova and Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey.
But for those watching on TV, the graphic showing the order in which the swimmers finished revealed the name of convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein. The 72-year-old former Hollywood mogul recently had one 2020 rape conviction overturned in New York, but prosecutors in California still want him extradited so that they may serve another 16-year sentence for raping a woman at a Los Angeles film festival in 2013.
Sports journalist Debbie Spillane posted the bizarre graphic to her X account on Monday, writing: ‘Creepy moment in the swimming at #Paris2024’.
But many others were horrified that Team USA’s Weinstein was being mentioned in the same breath as the Hollywood producer who was famously taken down by the ‘Me Too’ movement: ‘Stop it, Deb!’
A graphic showing the result of one of the women’s 200m freestyle semifinals at the Paris Games inadvertently showed the name of convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein
Claire Weinstein of United States reacts after her victory on Monday in the 200m freestyle
‘Good grief,’ replied another X user.
‘Even the first name fits into the scenario,’ one added.
‘Oh dear,’ posted another.
Harvey Weinstein, who is currently in hospital suffering from Covid-19 and pneumonia on both lungs, was convicted in New York and Los Angeles for a string of sex offences and had been serving a 23-year sentence on America’s east coast.
In the New York case, he was found guilty of sexual assault against former production assistant Miriam Haley and the rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann. However, those charges were overturned earlier this year after a state appellate judges ruled that he did not receive a fair hearing.
A tentative new date was set for a retrial, with jury selection set to begin on November 12 – but his conviction in Los Angeles for rape and sexual assault still stands.
He is not related to Claire Weinstein, who won Monday’s semifinal in 1:55.24.
Czech swimmer Barbora Seemanova (pictured) finished second in the event – but the names of two of her rivals had some viewers scratching their heads when they appeared on TV
All three swimmers mentioned in the graphic have qualified for the women’s 200-metre freestyle final at Paris La Defence Arena at 5.48am Tuesday AEST.
The field includes Aussie world record holder Ariarne Titmus and her main challenger, stablemate Mollie O’Callaghan.
Titmus and O’Callaghan both cruised into the final as the top-two qualifiers.
Titmus won narrowly ahead of O’Callaghan but dismissed any significance of the result.
Mollie O’Callaghan (left) and her fellow Aussie Ariarne Titmus (right) will compete for the title at Paris La Defence Arena in the final of the Women’s 200m Freestyle Final
‘You always want to be in the middle of the pool in a final and get yourself in a good position,’ she said.
‘But that was really the only plan for tonight, I tried to conserve as much as I could.’
Titmus touched in one minute 54.64 seconds, six-hundredths of a second quicker than O’Callaghan in second.
Titmus six weeks ago broke O’Callaghan’s world record in the event and the Paris final looms as a match-race between the swimmers who are both coached by Dean Boxall.
Titmus is seeking to become the first swimmer to successfully defend 200m and 400m freestyle titles at an Olympic Games.
