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When tweeting gets you kicked out of the Olympics

It’s not a good day for the Greek Olympic team. Olympic triple jumper Voula Papachristou (pictured inset) has been removed from the Greek Olympic team, and won’t be able to participate in the 2012 London Olympics because of some tweets she sent.

Her tweets posted on Twitter, which clearly were in poor taste mocked African immigrants. In one tweet Papachristou says “With so many Africans in Greece .. At least the mosquitoes of West Nile .. will eat homemade food!” She also sent a couple of other questionable tweets.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee says in a statement Wednesday that Papachristou is “placed outside the Olympic team for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement.” So all her years and years of hard work were undone with just a couple of tweets. She has apologized multiple times via her Twitter page, saying:

I would like to express my heartfelt apologies for the unfortunate and tasteless joke I published on my personal Twitter account. I am very sorry and ashamed for the negative responses I triggered, since I never wanted to offend anyone, or to encroach human rights.

My dream is connected to the Olympic Games and I could not possibly participate if I did not respect their values. Therefore, I could never believe in discrimination between human beings and races.

I would like to apologize to all my friends and fellow athletes, who I may have insulted or shamed, the National Team, as well as the people and companies who support my athletic career. Finally, I would like to apologize to my coach and my family.