Olympics commentator Mike Tirico has apologised after a gaffe involving the Palestine flag. After a broadcasting blunder rocked the BBC’s Olympics coverage , US network NBC found itself at the centre of controvery after Tirico misidentified the flag, which was draped around the shoulders of French basketball player Mathias Lessort. Following the ceremony, which saw Lessort win silver in the Men’s Basketball final on Saturday (10 August), Tirico said: “You saw with Lessort, one of the back centres, the Palestine flag draped over his shoulders.
We are certainly conscious of any displays regarding the Middle East conflict from athletes involved in these games.” However, it was swiftly pointed out that the flag was actually of Martinique , an overseas region of France where Lessort hails from. “Rare miss from Mike Tirico, but that is in fact not the Palestinian flag draped on Lessort’s shoulders,” one person wrote with another adding: “Mike Tirico that’s NOT the flag of Palestine.
That’s the flag of Martinique, which is to France like Puerto Rico is to us.” Viewers were expecting Tirico to correct himself before the end of the broadcast, with one expressing surprise that “nobody from NBC” informed him of his error. But Tirico apologised for the mistake on X/Twitter after the ceremony, writing: “Just acknowledging, as soon as possible, my error for misidentifying the Martinique flag as the flag of Palestine during the medal ceremony at Men’s Basketbal.