Japan’s Olympics gymnastics team loses captain for smoking, drinking

Japan’s women’s gymnastics team for the 2024 Olympics has lost its captain, 19-year-old Shoko Miyata, due to a violation of team rules. The Japan Gymnastics Association (JGA) announced on Friday that Miyata, who notched her third consecutive NHK Trophy in May to qualify for the Paris Games, withdrew after it was discovered she had been smoking and drinking alcohol.

Code violation: In Japan, smoking and drinking are illegal for people under 20. However, the JGA’s code of conduct goes even further, prohibiting athletes from these activities even if they are of legal age. As a result, Japan will now compete with a four-person team, all of whom are first-time Olympians.
Missed debut: Miyata, a Kyoto native, will be missing out on what would have been her Olympic debut. Her coach, Mutsumi Harada, acknowledged the pressure she faced: “She was spending her days really burdened with so much pressure. I would implore people to understand that.”

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