Shoko Miyata, the 19-year-old captain of Japan’s olympic gymnastic team, withdrew Friday from the Olympics over allegations that she smoked and drank alcohol, JGA’s executive director, Kenji Nishimura, told reporters in a press conference July 19.
Miyata’s alleged activities are in violation of the Japanese Gymnastics Association’s (JGA) code of conduct, CNN reported.
“Both parties discussed the matter and decided to withdraw [Miyata] from the Olympics,” Nishimura told the press. Nishimura claimed that Miyata smoked “in a private place at a certain location in Tokyo” and engaged in drinking “in a room in the Athlete Village of the National Training Center.”
“She engaged in smoking and drinking due to numerous pressures from the competitive targets that had been set,” Nishimura added.
The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) said that this withdrawal made history as no Olympic gymnast was previously dismissed for such a reason, Kyodo News reported. Miyata’s withdrawal left the team with only four gymnasts to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. No one will reportedly be dispatched to replace her because she did not withdraw on account of an injury or illness. (RELATED: Video Shows Italian Artist Creating Image Of Eiffel Tower Over Several Fields Using Tractor)
Miyata won a world championships bronze medal in 2022 and was the first female Japanese gymnast to claim an Olympics medal in 2020 since 1964, Kyodo News reported.
“It’s not just Ms. Miyata’s responsibility. I believe the entire Gymnastics Association is responsible. Ms. Miyata must atone for the crime she committed, though we will do our utmost to support her, so she can take a new step toward the future,” JGA chairman Tadashi Fujita said, CNN reported.
Miyata has appeared to delete her social media account in the fallout of this news.
Japan’s star gymnast Shoko Miyata, 19, the captain of the women’s team for the Paris Olympics, has withdrawn from the national team after she admitted to smoking cigarettes and drinking. https://t.co/8nC4f5poPi
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) July 19, 2024
The qualification round for the women’s gymnastics is due to start July 28, The Japan Times reported.
