Poland sprinting star and Instagram sensation Ewa Swoboda salutes the camera before bizarrely apologising and changing her gesture – and Olympics fans think they know why
- Ewa Swoboda won her first round of the women’s 100m in Paris on Friday
- The Pole was in high spirits as she crossed the finish line ahead of Britain’s Asher-Smith
- Swoboda made a gesture to the camera, which she quickly corrected after the race
Polish sprinter Ewa Swoboda stunned fans with her reaction on camera after reaching the first round of the women’s 100 metres in Paris.
The 27-year-old ultimately failed to reach the final after finishing fourth in the semi-final behind Melissa Jefferson, Marie-Josee Ta Lou and Mujinga Kambundji.
But before that disappointment on Saturday, Swoboda was in high spirits after completing the first stage and she saluted with her right hand towards the television cameras as they turned to her to ask for her reaction.
However, the world indoor silver medalist quickly corrected herself, shaking her head slightly and repeating the gesture with her left hand.
The scene caused confusion among several bystanders on social media, but it appears that with her action she wanted to distance herself from a gesture often associated with the military.
Poland’s Ewa Swoboda made a salute with her right hand after winning her first round, but quickly corrected her gesture
The 27-year-old failed to reach the women’s 100m final after safely completing the first round
“Military salute is with the right hand. So, she switches to her left hand to say hello,” wrote one user on X.
Another user on the platform agreed, saying: ‘Saluting from the right is for military personnel. She saw her mistake and then saluted from the left.’
Swoboda is an eight-time Polish champion in the 100 metres and a regular participant in the final stages of top international competitions.
But her sub-par performance at the Stade de France meant she had to watch from the sidelines as St Lucia’s Julien Alfred secured the country’s first Olympic medal when she won gold in the final on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old defeated world champion Sha’Carri Richardson, clocking a time of 10.72 in the rain in Paris.
The world indoor silver medalist was one of nine female athletes turned into Barbie dolls ahead of the Games
Richardson took silver, while fellow American Melissa Jefferson finished third and took bronze with a time of 10.92.
Swoboda, an Instagram sensation who was one of nine female athletes honored by Mattel with the creation of a Barbie doll, will compete for her country in the 4x100m relay later this week.