Poland sprinting star Ewa Swoboda perplexed fans with her reaction to the camera after progressing through the first round of the women's 100m in Paris.
The 27-year-old failed to make the final after coming fourth behind Melissa Jefferson, Marie-Josee Ta Lou, and Mujinga Kambundji in the semis.
But ahead of that disappointment on Saturday, Swoboda was in high spirits after navigating the first stage. She saluted in the direction of the television cameras with her right hand as it turned to her for her reaction.
However, the world indoor silver medallist quickly corrected herself, wagged her finger with a slight head shake, and repeated the gesture but with her left hand.
The sequence confused several onlookers on social media, though, it appears her move was in an attempt to distance herself from a gesture that is often associated with the military.
'Military salute is with the right hand. So, she switches to her left to say hello,' wrote one X user.
Another user on the platform agreed, stating: 'Saluting to the right is for military. She caught her mistake and then saluted from the left.'
Swoboda is an eight-time Polish champion in the 100m and a regular at the latter stages of elite global races.
But her subpar performance in the Stade de France meant that she was forced to watch from the sidelines as Julien Alfred of St Lucia secured the nation's first-ever Olympic medal when she won gold in the final on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old upset world champion Sha'Carri Richardson and clocked a time of 10.72 in the rain in Paris.
Another user on the platform agreed, stating: 'Saluting to the right is for military. She caught her mistake and then saluted from the left.'
Swoboda is an eight-time Polish champion in the 100m and a regular at the latter stages of elite global races.
But her subpar performance in the Stade de France meant that she was forced to watch from the sidelines as Julien Alfred of St Lucia secured the nation's first-ever Olympic medal when she won gold in the final on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old upset world champion Sha'Carri Richardson and clocked a time of 10.72 in the rain in Paris.
The 27-year-old failed to make the final after coming fourth behind Melissa Jefferson, Marie-Josee Ta Lou, and Mujinga Kambundji in the semis.
But ahead of that disappointment on Saturday, Swoboda was in high spirits after navigating the first stage. She saluted in the direction of the television cameras with her right hand as it turned to her for her reaction.
However, the world indoor silver medallist quickly corrected herself, wagged her finger with a slight head shake, and repeated the gesture but with her left hand.
The sequence confused several onlookers on social media, though, it appears her move was in an attempt to distance herself from a gesture that is often associated with the military.
'Military salute is with the right hand. So, she switches to her left to say hello,' wrote one X user.
Another user on the platform agreed, stating: 'Saluting to the right is for military. She caught her mistake and then saluted from the left.'
Swoboda is an eight-time Polish champion in the 100m and a regular at the latter stages of elite global races.
But her subpar performance in the Stade de France meant that she was forced to watch from the sidelines as Julien Alfred of St Lucia secured the nation's first-ever Olympic medal when she won gold in the final on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old upset world champion Sha'Carri Richardson and clocked a time of 10.72 in the rain in Paris.
Another user on the platform agreed, stating: 'Saluting to the right is for military. She caught her mistake and then saluted from the left.'
Swoboda is an eight-time Polish champion in the 100m and a regular at the latter stages of elite global races.
But her subpar performance in the Stade de France meant that she was forced to watch from the sidelines as Julien Alfred of St Lucia secured the nation's first-ever Olympic medal when she won gold in the final on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old upset world champion Sha'Carri Richardson and clocked a time of 10.72 in the rain in Paris.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Poland sprinting star Ewa Swoboda perplexed fans with her reaction to
00:10the camera after progressing through the first round of the women's 100m in Paris.
00:15The 27-year-old failed to make the final after coming fourth behind Melissa Jefferson,
00:20Marie-Josée Tallulh, and Mujinga Kambunji in the semis.
00:24But ahead of that disappointment on Saturday, Swoboda was in high spirits after navigating
00:29the first stage. She saluted in the direction of the television cameras with her right hand
00:34as it turned to her for her reaction. However, the world indoor silver medalist quickly corrected
00:40herself, wiped her finger with a slight head shake, and repeated the gesture but with her left hand.
00:46The sequence confused several onlookers on social media, though, it appears her move
00:50was in an attempt to distance herself from a gesture that is often associated with the military.