A surfing judge has been excluded from the judging panel in the competition at the Paris Olympic Games due to a photo taken with his fellow surfer Ethan Ewing and the team's coach. The photo of the Australian judge from the judging panel, taken during the competition in Tahiti, circulated on social media.
The International Surfing Federation stated that "it is inappropriate for a judge to interact with a competitor and their team in such a manner." The federation added, "To protect the integrity and neutrality of the ongoing competition, and in accordance with the code of conduct of the International Surfing Federation and the ethical rules of the International Olympic Committee, the executive committee of the federation has decided to exclude the judge from the judging panel for the remainder of the competition."
The International Surfing Federation did not specify the judge, but Benjamin Lo is the only Australian judge in the surfing competition at the Paris Games. The federation mentioned, "This decision is not related to this judge's performance here in the Olympic Games. The International Surfing Federation continues to remind all judges and teams of their responsibilities regarding appropriate conduct."
