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Mayor Takashi Kawamura bit the medal without permission
Photo: KYODO / REUTERS
Because the mayor bit on her gold medal, a Japanese Olympian gets a new medal.
As reported by local media, the organizing committee of the games that ended in Tokyo on Sunday decided to replace the gold medal for softball athlete Miu Goto with a new one.
She had recently put her medal on the mayor of her hometown Nagoya, Takashi Kawamura, at a reception in the city hall, whereupon the 72-year-old took the trophy in his hand in front of the cameras and then suddenly bit on it.
Since then, the pictures have caused a storm of indignation.
Kawamura apologized for the incident.
Other Japanese Olympians also found the mayor's behavior repulsive.
“Firstly, he lacks respect for the athletes who, as part of the anti-infection measures, had to put their medals around their necks or ask their teammates to do so.
And now he's biting into the medal?
That’s incredible for me, ”said Yuki Ota, Japan’s first Olympic fencing champion.
The local Japanese auto giant Toyota, whose softball team Goto trains with, also complained in a letter to the mayor.
mas / dpa
