Judge removed from Olympics surfing panel after photo with athlete circulates on social media

TEAHUPO'O, Taiarapu-Ouest — A surfing judge was removed from the Paris Olympics judging panel after a photo circulated online of him embracing a competitor along the shore’s edge in Tahiti this week.

During one of the competition's off days, a commentator shared a photo on his social media showing Australian judge Benjamin Lowe posing alongside Australian surfing team member Ethan Ewing. Bede Durbidge, coach of the Australian team, was also in the photo.

The International Surfing Association released a statement Thursday saying it removed Lowe from the judging panel for the remainder of the competition to “protect the integrity and fairness of the ongoing competition.”

“The ISA is aware of a photo circulating on social media in which one of the Olympic surfing judges from Australia is seen socially interacting with an Australian athlete and the team manager,” the ISA said. “It is inappropriate for a judge to be interacting in this manner with an athlete and their team.”

The decision was made in accordance with the ISA's code of conduct and the International Olympic Committee's code of ethics, it said.

Australia's team management didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

The surfing federation said it had “communicated with all judges and teams to remind them of their responsibilities regarding appropriate behavior.”