On July 27-28, Facebook accounts (1,2,3,4) disseminated a photo of a high jumper, claiming it was taken at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The photo is accompanied by a French-language caption: “This year’s Olympic Games.” The posts suggest that the person in the photo is a representative of a women’s team in France.
The disseminated photo has been altered. The original photo, which was taken at the 2013 World Athletics Championships, shows Russian high jumper Yelena Isinbayeva.
The image of the athlete on Facebook has been digitally altered to create the impression that the person has male genitalia. The posts specifically highlight the alleged presence of a man on the women’s Olympic team.
In reality, the authentic photo features Russian high jumper Yelena Isinbayeva (1,2). The photo was taken during the World Athletics Championships held in Moscow in August 2013.
Photo: ReutersThe fact that the photo is altered is confirmed by another photograph taken from a slightly different angle at the same moment.
Isinbayeva is a two-time Olympic and three-time World Champion in high jumping and was the first woman to clear the five-meter barrier. After it was revealed that Russian athletes had systematically used doping, Isinbayeva, along with the entire Russian athletics team, was barred from the 2016 Rio Olympics. Elena Isinbayeva retired from active sports in August of the same year.
About the Sources:
Facebook user Levan Tavdishvili regularly posts anti-Western content, including false information. The disinformation disseminated by the user has been debunked by “Myth Detector” several times in the past.
The edited photo of the athlete was also shared by anonymous Facebook accounts, which conceal their identities, including Kalistrate Rogava and Salome Tabagari.
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