Dutch Gymnast Sent Home From The Olympics For Drinking

Dutch gymnast Yuri van Gelder was sent home from the Rio Olympics after violating his team’s rules by taking his celebration a little too far.

After making it to the men’s rings final Saturday, van Gelder, 33, left the athletes’ village in Rio to celebrate with his Brazilian girlfriend, according to CNN. But when he returned early Sunday morning, van Gelder admitted he drank and was promptly kicked out of the Olympics. His actions, leaving the village for an unauthorized night out and drinking, violated the team’s code of conduct, according to NBC.

The Dutch gymnastics association and the Dutch Olympic Committee said that van Gelder had “gravely violated” team rules, CNN reports. “It was a very difficult decision for us to make,” a spokesperson for the Dutch Olympic team said, according to NBC. “This is terrible for Yuri, but at such a breach of the values, we have no other choice. We stand for excellence with respect to all agreements and rules. Our athletes have an exemplary standard, and this behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Yuri has left us no choice.”

Read More: