Photo: Kyodo News/AP
Japan’s Miu Goto will be getting a replacement gold medal after a local mayor bit her original one during a recent celebration ceremony.Although athletes have a long-standing tradition ofplayfully chomping on their medals for the camera, Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura sparked backlash last week after removing his face mask to bite the softball player’s medal at a ceremony in her honor.In addition to being accused of behaving disrespectfully, Kawamura was also criticized for removing his mask while standing in front of a backdrop calling on people to wash their hands and social distance in order to prevent against the spread of COVID-19, perNBC News.“Apart from showing a lack of respect for athletes, he bit it even though [athletes] are putting on medals themselves or on their team-mates during medal ceremonies as part of infection prevention measures. Sorry, I can’t understand it,” Japanese Olympic fencer Yuki Ota wrote on Twitter in a translated message, according to theBBC.
The outlet also reported that the 72-year-old mayor received over 7,000 complaints about his behavior.
Toyota Motor Corp.,the owner of Goto’s softball team in Japan, issued their own rebuke last week.
“It is unfortunate that he was unable to feel admiration and respect for the athlete,” the company said, per NBC News. “And it is extremely regrettable that he was unable to give consideration to infection prevention.”
Kawamura went on to apologize, saying in a statement, “I forgot my position as Nagoya mayor and acted in an extremely inappropriate way.”
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“With support from the International Olympic Committee and in line with her own intention, Ms. Goto’s medal is now set to be exchanged for a new one,” organizers toldReuters.
source: people.com
