London - The evening before competing in the Olympics, most athletes would make sure they had an early night and plenty of sleep to help them focus on winning a medal.
But Brazilian diver Ingrid Oliveira, 20, clearly had other things on her mind - instead engaging in what South American media have branded a ‘marathon night of sex’.
Miss Oliveira and canoeist Pedro Goncalves, a fellow Brazilian, sloped back to the room she was supposed to be sharing with her synchronised diving partner Giovanna Pedroso, 17.
The next day, when Miss Oliveira and Miss Pedroso took to the pool for the synchronised 10m platform dive, they finished last and their performance was labelled ‘pathetic’ by local media.
It provoked an almighty row which has led to the two divers ending their partnership. Only a week before, Miss Oliveira and Miss Pedroso had posed for the camera with Goncalves, 23, while enjoying a day off at the pool with fellow athletes.
The picture was uploaded by fellow diver Ian Matos, 27, with the caption: ‘Day of rest, making the most of it to strengthen friendships.’ But the women’s friendship had been torn apart - after Miss Pedroso allegedly reported Miss Oliveira’s tryst to team bosses.
According to Brazilian newspaper O Globo, the row began when Miss Oliveira brought Goncalves back to their apartment in the Olympic Village and asked if the pair could share the room where she normally sleeps with Miss Pedroso.
After a ‘heated’ discussion, during which Miss Pedroso allegedly reminded her team-mate that they had to compete the following day and the situation was not ideal, she gave in and went to sleep in another room.
Bitter that she had been robbed of a good night’s sleep and the chance of winning a medal, Miss Pedroso reportedly told the Brazilian team managers that Miss Oliveira and Goncalves had spent the night together.
According to local media, the divers already had a fraught relationship prior to the late night antics, but the incident involving the canoeist was the final straw. Speaking to O Globo, Miss Pedroso said: ‘The fight started in training because I wanted to make a jump and she wanted to do another.
‘After the Olympics I will focus on my individual [diving]. It’s good because I will not need to depend on anyone.’
Following their dismal performance in the competition, Miss Oliveira told the newspaper: ‘After today, I don’t know what will happen, but I know I will no longer synchronise dive with her.’ Under a picture of herself and Miss Pedroso in mid-dive, Miss Oliveira replied to a comment from a fan and opened up about the row.
She wrote: ‘Mistakes, everyone makes mistakes, no one is perfect apart from God.’
She claimed that most of the information that had been reported about the row was ‘pure sensationalism’ but said she was banned from talking about what had happened.
Later she thanked her followers for their support in this ‘difficult moment’. At the end of last week, Miss Oliveira uploaded a video of herself diving with a quote from Martin Luther King which read: ‘If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving.’
Goncalves has said nothing about the events, telling a local news-paper only: ‘My personal life, I do not speak about.’
Yesterday it emerged that Miss Oliveira had already attracted public criticism for uploading an inappropriate picture online.
Ahead of the Pan American Games in Toronto in July last year, she posted ‘provocative’ snaps of herself in a swimsuit.
Outraged Brazilians accused her of ‘being more interested in posting photos of her behind than winning medals’. Her trainer Andreia da Silva said at the time: ‘She can have fun, she can play, but she has to pay more attention because we have an Olympic objective.’
Daily Mail