Australian Ben Lowe, a surfing judge at the Games, has been removed from his role following a controversial photo that surfaced on social media. The photo depicted Lowe alongside Australian surfer Ethan Ewing and team coach Bede Durbidge in Teahupo’o on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, where the competition is being held. The image, reportedly shared on Durbidge’s social media Stories, was deemed a violation of the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) impartiality policy.
The ISA stated, 'It is inappropriate for a judge to be interacting in this manner with an athlete and their team.' Consequently, the ISA Executive Committee decided to eliminate Lowe from the judging panel for the remainder of the competition to uphold the integrity and fairness of the ongoing event.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Lowe regarding the decision have been made through Surfing Australia.
Lowe, an experienced judge with 18 years on the World Surf League’s global tour, previously served on the judging panel in Tokyo three years ago.
The ISA clarified, 'This decision is not linked to the judge’s performance at the Olympic Games. The ISA has reminded all judges and teams of their responsibilities concerning appropriate behavior.'
