On August 2, Georgian-language Facebook users (1,2,3) shared a photo of a person in women’s lingerie, claiming it was taken at the Paris Olympics. According to the information on the photo, the individual was participating in the women’s 100-meter butterfly event. The users insist that the photo is not altered.
The photo was also disseminated in a Russian-speaking Facebook group.
The viral photo of the Paris Olympics is altered. In reality, neither the person depicted in the photo nor any other biological male athlete is participating in the women’s swimming events at the Olympics. The circulated photo cannot be found on the official Olympics and media websites. Moreover, the photo contains several errors confirming it was altered and not actually taken at the Olympics.
According to the caption on the photo, a biologically male swimmer participated in the women’s 100-meter butterfly event, but the official records do not include any athlete of such appearance. It’s also noteworthy that several transgender athletes are competing in the Paris Olympics, but they are all biologically female and compete among women. These athletes include a Filipino boxer, a Canadian soccer player, and an American runner, who identify as male or non-binary but have not yet undergone hormonal therapy. No transgender swimmers are participating in the event.
The circulated photo and information cannot be found on the official websites of the Olympics and international sports media (1;2;3). The photo search revealed that it is only spread on social networks (1;2;3), forums, and clickbait websites. The screenshot posted by Georgian Facebook users shows a Facebook page that shared the photo on August 2. The page regularly shares photo fabrications and AI-generated images related to the Olympics. Notably, the descriptions of posts using this photo often differ, with some calling the person a champion in women’s freestyle swimming and others a gold medalist in diving.
Several errors indicate that the photo could not have been taken at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The platform next to the person in women’s lingerie is labeled “PARIS,” but it should be followed by the tournament’s year and is officially referred to as “PARIS 2024.” Additionally, the construction from which swimmers dive differs significantly from the one at the Olympics.
Another detail indicating the photo’s inauthenticity is the logo on the platform’s end. Instead of five rings, it shows at least six, differing from the real Olympic logo.
Such photos have been posted on social media after numerous misleading claims about boxer Imane Khalif, who competed in the women’s category. After winning against an Italian athlete, Khalif was called transgender, and accused of winning due to unfair conditions.
Notably, Since the start of the 2024 Olympics, “Myth Detector” has verified numerous false claims, visual manipulations, misleading posts, and conspiracies.
About the source:
Facebook account “Fanti Na” and its other accounts (1,2) have repeatedly spread disinformation in the past. “Myth Detector” has debunked false information shared by this user multiple times.
“Myth Detector” has repeatedly debunked false information spread by Father Spiridon Tskipurishvili. His Facebook posts have also been flagged as false information.
Facebook user Gia Baindurashvili regularly shares anti-Western and homophobic content. He has published false information multiple times in the past.
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