JAPAN’S TOP FEMALE GYMNAST SENT HOME FOR SMOKING
Shoko Miyata was set to captain Japan’s female gymnastics team at the 2024 Paris Olympics but was sent home from a training camp in Monaco.
The reason? She was caught smoking. In Japan, the legal smoking age is 20. Miyata is 19.
The Japan Gymnastics Association (JGA) sent officials to Monaco to investigate the matter. They confirmed that Miyata was found smoking and that the use of alcohol was also involved.
She flew back to Japan the very next day and training director Hikaru Tanaka simply said “Due to circumstances, she isn’t participating today” when it was noted that was absent at the team’s practice.
During a press conference, JGA President Tadashi Fujita said they “apologise from the bottom of their hearts” while bowing deeply along with Miyata’s personal coach, Mutsumi Harada.
The women’s gymnastics team will now compete with only four gymnasts instead of five and a new captain has been appointed.
The gymnastics events will start on 29 July at the Bercy Arena in Paris.
Image credit: People