Aussies cop staggering ban as Olympics rocked by withdrawal of 'ashamed' legend Charlotte Dujardin

The Olympics has been rocked by scandal just hours before events get underway in Paris, with champion British equestrian rider Charlotte Dujardin withdrawing amid an investigation. Dujardin is Britain's joint-most decorated female Olympian, having won six medals across an illustrious career.

But she dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when she announced she'd withdrawn from the Olympics in Paris amid an investigation by equestrian's governing body. She didn't elaborate on the investigation but revealed the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) were looking into an old video where she admitted to making an "error of judgement".

The video appears to show Dujardin hitting a horse on the legs during a trot. The incident occurred in 2020. "A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgement during a coaching session," Dujardin said in a statement.

"Understandably, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) is investigating and I have made the decision to withdraw from all competition - including the Paris Olympics - while this process takes place. What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment."

The 39-year-old said she was "sincerely sorry" for her actions and was "devastated" to let down the GB team, fans and sponsors. "I will cooperate fully with the FEI, British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage during their investigations, and will not be commenting further until the process is complete," she added.

Dujardin won three gold medals, a silver and two bronze at the London, Rio and Tokyo Games from 2012 to 2021. Her six medals make her Britain's joint-most decorated female Olympian alongside cyclist Laura Kenny. Dujardin was due to compete in the individual dressage and team event in Paris alongside Carl Hester and world champion Lottie Fry, and was a big chance to become the outright most decorated female Olympian for GB.

Australian athletes barred from wearing uniforms outside village

Meanwhile, Australia's athletes have been advised not to wear their green and gold uniforms while outside the Olympic village in Paris. French police are investigating allegations an Australian tourist was sexually assaulted by five men this week, and Aussie Olympic team officials have been briefed on the situation.

Australian chef de mission Anna Meares said she had heard of no threats against team members, but they are being advised to be careful when going outside the athletes' village - including refraining from wearing their uniforms or team colours. "What information we're passing onto our athletes is that security presence is really, really high and that's in order for them to act as quickly as possible to keep them safe," Meares said.

"We don't yet have any feedback from our athletes that they have felt unsafe - we are encouraging them, if they go out of the village, not to go out on their own, not to wear (their) team uniform, just to wear plain clothes. We're just waiting on further information on the actual case itself."

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Two water polo players test positive Covid-19

Meares also confirmed that two athletes from the Aussie women's water polo team have tested positive for Covid-19, and officials are taking appropriate action. The athletes' symptoms are said to be mild and they're sleeping in rooms by themselves.

"The player who has tested positive to Covid-19 last night has chosen not to train with her teammates this afternoon," the Australian Olympic Committee said in a statement. "All close contacts have been tested. A second player who was a close contact has also tested positive, but that player is well enough to train.

"The water polo team followed the AOC respiratory illness protocols correctly which allowed for early diagnosis and treatment. A reminder has been sent to all teams to reinforce the protocols."

Meares added: "This is a high-performance environment, so we are being diligent, but I need to emphasise we are treating Covid no different to other bugs like the 'flu - this is not Tokyo. We've been able to get a really good handle on what might be going about.

"What was very positive about this situation and this athlete was that they followed the protocols ... and at the first sign of symptoms they acted responsibly and presented themselves to the medical team to be tested."

with AAP