麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Japan women's gymnastics captain out of Paris Games for smoking

Japan's Shoko Miyata reacts after falling on the floor exercise during the women's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Geert vanden Wijngaert) Japan's Shoko Miyata reacts after falling on the floor exercise during the women's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Geert vanden Wijngaert)
Share
TOKYO -

Shoko Miyata, the 19-year-old captain of the Japan women's artistic gymnastics team, has withdrawn from the squad for the Paris Games after violating the team's code of conduct by smoking, the Japanese Gymnastics Association said on Friday.

JGA officials said Miyata arrived in Japan on Thursday after leaving the team's training camp in Monaco for investigation, which confirmed the violation including drinking alcohol.

The women's squad would compete with four athletes instead of five, the JGA told a media conference.

"We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for this," JGA President Tadashi Fujita said, bowing deeply along with other officials including Miyata's personal coach, Mutsumi Harada.

Hopes had been high for the Japan women's gymnastics team, which was seeking to win a team medal at the Paris Games for the first time since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Miyata had been expected to lead a team comprised entirely of first-time Olympians and teenagers after she secured her Paris berth in May with a third consecutive NHK trophy.

Coach Harada said that while Miyata's conduct had been reckless, she had been under extreme pressure to perform at the highest level.

"She was spending her days really burdened with so much pressure," he said, wiping away tears. "I would implore people to understand that."

Mental health facing young athletes took center stage at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo when gymnastics superstar Simone Biles pulled out of one competition after another.

Artistic gymnastics is one of the most popular sports at the Summer Games and will be held from July 27 to Aug. 5.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo; Editing by Ken Ferris and Miral Fahmy)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected