Swimmers Forming the “BRING THEM HOME NOW” slogan With Their Bodies Is Not From Paris Olympics 2024.

An image of swimmers forming the “BRING THEM HOME NOW” slogan with their bodies went viral on social media claiming it to be from the ongoing Paris Olympics. Sharing the image on Facebook user wrote, “The Israeli Olympic team were not allowed to wear yellow ribbon pins for the hostages during the Paris Olympics.  🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 God Bless Israel 🇮🇱 

So instead, they did this. 

‘Bring Them Home Now!”

Facebook Link | Archived Link.

However, as we investigated, we came to know that the viral image is not from the Paris Olympics 2024. Here’s the fact check.

Fact Check

We started our investigation by conducting a reverse image search. As a result, we found the image on the Facebook page of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The image was uploaded on 19 November 2023. 

The caption of the image reads, “A beautiful tribute by Israel’s national artistic swimming team in tribute to the 240 hostages being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

We will not stop until each and every one of them is brought home.

Yoav Borowitz

📸 Adam Spiegel, Michel Braunstein”.

Facebook Link | Archived Link.

In the post, image credit was given to Adam Spiegel and Michel Braunstein. Therefore, conducting a relevant keyword search, we found the Instagram post of photographer Adam Spiegel. The image was uploaded on 19 November 2023.

Instagram Link | Archived Link.

Moving forward, we came across the official Instagram handle of Israel’s Artistic Swimming Team. The viral photo was uploaded there on 19 November 2023. 

The caption of the image read, “Israel’s artistic swimming team took a photo at the weekend at the national pool at the Wingate Institute for a special photo for the return of the abductees to Israel. Ten female athletes participated in photographs taken from a drone and underwater.

The girls who participated: Eden Belcher, Shelly Bobritsky, Ariel Nashi, Nicole Nakhshonov, Kati Kunin, Maya Dorf, Neta Robichak, Shani Shraizin, Noi Gazela and Aya Mazor. From the edge of the pool, the photographers Sabetta Belcher and Risa Kunin won.

The sportswoman requested through the photos to convey a message: “Like the whole country, we are also waiting and hoping that all the abductees will return home soon. We decided to film this gesture in the hope of raising awareness of the crimes against humanity committed against Israelis and against citizens of many countries.”

Drone photography: Adam Spiegel@im.adamico

Underwater photography: Michel Braunstein@michelbraunstein”

Instagram Link | Archived Link.

Conclusion 

From our investigation, we can say that the claim is false. The image shows Israel’s Artistic Swimming Team at the national pool at Israel’s Wingate Institute in 2023. This is not related to the Paris Olympics 2024.