Yuri van Gelder lived up to his reputation as the bad boy of gymnastics after he was thrown out of the Rio Olympics by the Dutch team for an unauthorized night out drinking.
Having reached the men's rings finals on Saturday, the former world champion -- nicknamed the "Lord of the Rings" -- left the Athletes' Village a few hours later to celebrate. When he returned, he admitted he'd consumed alcohol.
The Dutch gymnastics association, KNGU, and the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC-NSF) said in a joint statement Van Gelder, 33, had "gravely violated" team rules and that they had "no other choice" but to put him on the first plane home.
'Unacceptable behavior'
"It was a very difficult decision," chef de mission Maurits Hendriks said in a statement on the KNGU website. "It's terrible for Yuri, but this sort of behavior is unacceptable."
Hendriks admitted the departure of the former world champion and triple European champion on the rings was "a bloodletting" for the Dutch team.
But, he stressed, "our athletes are role models."