7-Time Female Olympian Elected as Tokyo Olympics Head After Former’s Sexist Remarks
February 18, 2021
In response to the recent controversy surrounding its former president, the organizing committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has appointed a new leader.
What happened: The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games announced on Thursday that Seiko Hashimoto will replace Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori as its new president, ABC News reports.
- A week prior, Mori made headlines due to his sexist remarks during a Japan Olympic Committee meeting.
- Mori, who claimed that “a board meeting including many women would take time,” was pressured to resign after causing an international uproar, according to The Diplomat.
- Despite issuing an apology for his derogatory comments, Mori’s actions have been considered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as “absolutely inappropriate and in contradiction to the IOC’s commitments and the reforms of its Olympic agenda 2020.”
- Hashimoto, 56, represented Japan during her time as an Olympian and even brought home a bronze medal from the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France back in 1992.
- In a recent statement, Hashimoto voiced her thoughts on gender equality in relation to the Games: “The circumstances surrounding the appointment of a new president have made the question of how Tokyo 2020 and the Games can further the cause of gender equality one of intense interest to many people. I intend to approach this question with a sense of urgency and within the month set forth a system for implementation and begin delivering results.”
Feature Images via NBC News (left), Getty (right)
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