Nadja Drygalla adds new reason to get kicked out of Olympics (VIDEO)
Germany’s Nadja Drygalla, center, left the Athletes Village after accusations surfaced that she has links to neo-Nazis back home.
Gone are the days when only dopers and drug cheats were kicked out of the Olympics.
Add Nadja Drygalla’s name to an ever-growing list that includes racist tweeters, drunk drivers and lazy badminton players.
Drygalla, a German rower, returned home after a broadcaster reported her boyfriend ran for office with the right-wing National Democratic Party.
She had to quit the police force last year for reported links to a member of the Rostock National Socialists.
Der Spiegel reported that Germany’s security forces call the RNS neo-Nazi and racist.
“Miss Drygalla confirmed credibly her commitment to the Olympic Charter,” said Michael Vesper, Germany’s Olympic chief. “She is leaving the Olympic Village so as not to be a burden for the team.”
The women’s eight is finished at London, so it’s unclear if she will face punishment.
More from GlobalPost: Greece expels triple-jumper for racist tweet
More from GlobalPost: Swiss soccer player booted for racist tweet at London Olympics
Race has played a surprisingly prominent role in London.
Greece and Switzerland booted two athletes for sending racist tweets.
On July 30, Swiss soccer player Michel Morganella called North Koreans … er, bad names (he insulted their intelligence).
“Michel Morganella gravely insulted and discriminated against the South Korean people and their football team with his highly offensive comments on Twitter,” said Gian Gilli, the Swiss chef de mission.
“I wish to apologize to the people in South Korea and their team, but also to the Swiss delegation and Swiss football in general,” Morganella said before deleting his Twitter account.
He was just following Voula Papachristou’s lead.
Greece told the triple-jumper not to bother competing when days before the Games began she unleashed this gem: “With so many Africans in Greece, the West Nile mosquitoes will be getting home food!”
Not criminal alone, but she had retweets, shares and links with a far-right political party called Golden Dawn.
Now, for the drunks.
Closed circuit TV caught rower Josh Booth smashing shop windows in England on Thursday, the effects of a drunken night on the town.
Dressed in his country’s track suite, he thought he was breaking into his own home.
“It’s quite out of character for Josh and he really can’t explain why he actually conducted himself in that particular way, but accepts that is what happened and is prepared for any of the repercussions that result,” AOC deputy chef de mission Chris Fydler told The Herald Sun.
He, his parents and most of Australia’s Olympic committee apologized profusely to the law firm and restaurant that, apparently, bear strong resemblance to Booth’s Australian apartment.
Booth promised to repay about $3,000 in damage; word on punishment will likely come later, when we've moved on.
Moving on, athletes aren’t’ the only ones who like to tipple.
South Korea sent sailing coach Lee Jae-cheol home after he drove drunk on July 25.
“Although we will thoroughly grasp the issue and take action after finding out what was wrong, we think Lee is under enormous amount of psychological pressure,” the South Korean Olympic federation said in a release. “Our federation will try hard to prevent a weakening of athletes’ morale and try to turn the misfortune to our advantage and do our best to realize our dream to win medals in sailing.”
More from GlobalPost: Badminton players shuttled away for dumping matches
Oddly enough, the biggest story of the Olympics might be “Eight Women Out.”
Badminton booted four South Korean, two Chinese and two Indonesian players for dumping matches to gain a more favorable path to the medal round.
On Thursday, Chinese champion Yu Yang up and retired at age 26.
“This is my last competition. Goodbye Badminton World Federation, goodbye my beloved badminton,” she wrote on Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter. “You have heartlessly shattered our dreams. … It’s that simple, not complicated at all. But this is unforgivable.”
Aren’t there and dopers anymore?
Ah, thankfully, there is Luiza Galiulina of Uzbekistan.
The 20-year-old Galiulina tested positive July 25 for a banned diuretic.
Artistic gymnastics will never be the same again, and neither will the Olympic Games.
More from GlobalPost: More from 2012 London Olympics
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