Less than a week into the 2012 London Olympics and already two athletes have been expelled for racially charged tweets. On Monday, the Swiss Olympic Committee bounced 23-year-old soccer player Michel Morganella after his comment following Switzerland's 2-1 loss to South Korea a day earlier.
Such offensive remarks are in breach of the International Olympic Committee's code of ethics.
Morganella "discriminated against, insulted and violated the dignity'' of the South Korean team, as well as the nation's citizens, Swiss committee chief Gian Gilli said Monday in a statement at a news conference.
Gilli said Morganella willingly accepted the punishment.
"Michel indeed does realize that his behavior was wrong,'' Gilli added. "We hope that he will draw the necessary lessons for his still-young football career.''
A Swiss spokesman said Morganella had signed an agreement about social media and how to use it.
Swiss media reported that Morganella later apologized on Twitter, and the account has since been deleted.
Last week, Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou, a right-wing political supporter, was expelled by Greek athletic officials after she mocked African immigrants. She made her comments in Athens and had been expected to travel to London before the track and field completion begins Friday.
