One member of the Australian Olympic men’s field hockey team will never forget his time at the Paris 2024 Summer Games.
But instead of coming home with a medal or a heartwarming story, he’ll be heading back home with an international criminal record.
A member of the Australian delegation was brought into custody by police after reportedly trying to buy cocaine in Paris last night, as was the person they attempted to buy it from.
As per the Associated Press, no charges were filed, while the Australian Olympic Committee is “continuing to make enquiries and arrange support for the team member.”
Neither the Australian Olympic Committee nor the Paris prosecutors released the name of the people involved in the case, though the AP identified the intended buyer as a 28-year-old, with the person attempting to sell as a 17-year-old.
Australia finished group stage play with three wins and two losses and was one of eight teams out of 12 to move onto the quarterfinals. But their Olympic journey ended earlier this week with a loss to the Netherlands. Australia was unable to find the net against their Dutch rivals, dropping the contest by a 2-0 score.
Men’s field hockey at the Olympics wraps up tomorrow when the Netherlands takes on Germany in the gold medal match. Meanwhile, India and Spain will face off for the bronze tomorrow as well.
On the women’s side of the bracket, the Netherlands is awaiting their opponent in the gold medal game, having defeated Argentina earlier today. Belgium and China are facing off at 1 pm ET/10 am PT for the other spot in the final.
The Olympics are closing in on their final week in Paris, with only a few more days left of competition. The closing ceremony is set for Sunday, August 11, as are the final medal events.