Olympian booted from London after drunken night

Gijs Van Hoecke from Belgium celebrates on the podium for the Madison at the 2012 Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne, on April 8, 2012. / Mark Gunter/AFP/Getty Images

(AP) BRUSSELS (AP) - The Belgian Olympic Committee says it has told cyclist Gijs van Hoecke to leave the Olympics after photos appeared of him looking drunk and unable to walk while leaving a London nightclub.

The committee said in a statement Thursday it made its decision after consulting with the team leader of the Belgian cycling squad.

Several British and Belgian newspapers published photos showing the 20-year-old Van Hoecke, his eyes closed and his trousers and shirt wet, being helped into a vehicle by teammates.

Van Hoecke told Belgium's VRT radio and television network that he regretted what happened, but he was just "letting off some steam" after two years of hard work.

Still, he said "it would have been better if I had not done that here ... in London."

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[Valhalla0907]

He learned a valuable lesson. Never trust the people around you.

[Janno54]

Amazing how immature some folks are - instead of being grateful for the Olympic opportunity - you go out and act like you're a ten year old that still needs chaperoning. Send him home. Good idea.

[wolfmagic2012]

Amazing how immature some folks are - instead of understanding how a 20 year old might over-do celebrating after his Olympic effort. Bad idea to send him home, and underscores the propagandist-facist element of the games. God forbid that Olympic athletes should face the same short-comings that the rest of us humans experience. Get a clue and get off your high horse.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

Guess it all depends upon what values the modern Olympics was founded upon. (We all know how the ancient Greeks were.)

[betty42254]

Big deal...he was drunk...Move on..

[UForgotPoland]

People celebrate and get drunk, you shouldn't ban someone for that! If they let the steroid using Chinese swimmers dope up they should let Western Nations enjoy a few beers!

[hypnotoad72]

Then celebrate responsibly.

What's the problem with the "R" word, noting there were no external influences beyond his ability to control...

[ssporleder]

Classy.

[Sallyberg]

So when Hope Solo says the entire US Volleyball team was drunk during the Today show, and admits they were drinking all night, why aren't they held to the same standard?

[EmpireGeorge______--]

Hope Solo didn't have to be publically carried out of a bar, completely wasted and unconscious.....she didn't embarrass the olympics, as this guy apparently did.

so there is a difference between one behavior and the other.

[john92021]

nice to see that the country is now drunk free again

[hemusbull]

So they can make sex but having a beer isn't in the moral values' list? Gimme a break!

[mercygirlrocks]

I agree

[Yeah_Its_Me]

make sex??????? people don't make sex.