Japan’s star gymnast, Shoko Miyata, the captain of the women’s team for the Paris Olympics, was sent home after an investigation concluded she violated the code of conduct by smoking cigarettes and drinking.
Miyata left the training camp in Monaco on Thursday, just more that a week before the 2024 Olympics are set to begin, and arrived back in Japan later the same night, the BBC reported.
As a result, the women’s team will compete with four athletes rather than five, the Japanese Gymnastics Association confirmed Friday. The agency said it began investigating 19-year-old Miyata on Monday, after it received a tip about her smoking and drinking.
The gymnast — Japan’s reigning national champion — admitted to her behavior the following day, said the JGA, which has since issued an apology for the scandal.
“We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for this,” said JGA President Tadashi Fujita.
Miyata’s coach, Mutsumi Harada, called for sympathy, telling reporters Miyata had been struggling with the intense “pressure” of representing her country at the Paris Games.
“She was spending her days really burdened with so much pressure,” he said, brushing away tears. “I would implore people to understand that.”
In Japan, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol is illegal before the age of 20. What’s more, the JGA has additional rules effectively prohibiting its athletes from smoking and drinking during team activities — even if they are above the age of 20, per the Japan Times.
Miyata won her first gold medal at Japan’s national championships in April, after she previously earning back-to-back silver medals. She also won bronze on the balance beam during the 2022 World Championships and placed fifth in the all-around competition.
Japan has not medaled in the women’s gymnastics team all-around competition since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.