Molly O'Callaghan, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris and Shaina Jack won gold in the event for Australia, beating the USA and China for the fourth consecutive Olympic title.
As Ballard made his statement, they were waving to the crowd and celebrating his accomplishment.
His co-commentator, British swimming champion Lizzie Simmonds, immediately slammed his comments as “outrageous”, while Ballard burst out laughing.
In a statement to X, Ballard urged users not to “bully” Simmons. Some were quick to attack the former Olympic swimmer online.
Eurosport reported on Sunday that Ballard – formerly a BBC reporter and presenter – would not be returning to broadcasting.
“Last night, commentator Bob Ballard made inappropriate comments during part of Eurosport's coverage,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
“For that purpose he was immediately removed from the list of commentators.”
Mr. Ballard has been at the forefront of global sports coverage since the 1980s, covering numerous Olympic Games and World Championships.
He has commentated on a variety of sports including water polo, ice hockey and wheelchair tennis, but is best known for his commentary on swimming and diving.
We have contacted Swimming Australia for comment.
