Dutch gymnast Yuri van Gelder sent home from the Olympics for drinking The Dutch gymnast Yuri van Gelder has been expelled from the Olympics for violating team rules, after he went out […]

The Dutch gymnast Yuri van Gelder has been expelled from the Olympics for violating team rules, after he went out drinking in Rio to celebrate qualifying for the final of the rings event.

The Dutch team’s ambassador has confirmed that the 33-year-old medal contender left the Olympic Village on Saturday night and returned in the early hours of Sunday, breaking rules concerning alcohol consumption and leaving the team base.

“It’s terrible for Yuri, but this kind of behaviour is unacceptable,” said the Dutch team ambassador Maurits Hendriks in a statement on Tuesday.

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“In sports terms this is a disaster, but we had no other choice given the violation of our values.”

Van Gelder, the rings world champion in 2005, has form when it comes to rule-breaking. In 2009, he was suspended from the Dutch Gymnastics Union for taking cocaine three days before the national championships. He was also sacked from his job with the Dutch military, which has a zero tolerance policy to drugs.

‘Lord of the Drinks’

Addressing the blunder, Van Gelder said he hugely regretted his “lapse” and called himself “incredibly stupid”.

The Dutch team has imposed strict living conditions on its athletes. According to media reports, they are banned from entering Rio for safety reasons, while athletes who have completed their events must return home to avoid distracting their team mates.

Despite the stringent guidelines, some fans took to Twitter to ask why Van Gelder wasn’t reined in by his coaches. Others, less impressed, have re-branded the man nicknamed “Lord of the Rings” as “Lord of the Drinks”.