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Luana María Alonso Méndez[a] (born 19 March 2004) is a retired Paraguayan swimmer born in Asunción, Paraguay.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Luana María Alonso Méndez |
| Nationality |  Paraguay |
| Born | 19 March 2004 Asuncion, Paraguay |
| Education | |
| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming and Diving |
| Event | 50 100 & 200 butterfly |
| College team | |
| League | National Collegiate Athletic Association - NCAA Division I |
She competed in the women's 100 metre butterfly event of the 2020 Summer Olympics[1] and holds multiple Paraguayan records in the butterfly discipline.[2]
Alonso attended Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia both in the United States for her university studies where she competed for the SMU Mustangs and Virginia Tech Hokies respectively in National Collegiate Athletic Association - NCAA Division I, Swimming & Diving.[3][4]
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During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Alonso competed in the women's 100m butterfly, finishing 6th in her heat, 29th overall, and failing to qualify for the semifinals. Immediately after her race, Alonso announced her retirement from competitive swimming.[5][6] On August 5, it was reported that Alonso had been asked to leave the Olympic Village by Paraguay's chef de mission for creating an "inappropriate atmosphere" around the team. Comments from the President of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee on a Paraguayan radio show appeared to indicate that the decision to remove Alonso came after she made a trip to Disneyland Paris.[7][8] Meanwhile, the Paraguayan digital newspaper Hoy reported that Alonso had spoken about her reluctance to represent Paraguay on a livestream prior to the Games, instead expressing a desire to represent the United States.[9] On August 6, Alonso addressed her expulsion, stating that she had indeed left the Games but had done so of her own free will.[9][10]
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- In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Alonso and the second or maternal family name is Méndez.
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