Japan’s top female gymnast and team captain, Shoko Miyata, has been removed from the Paris Olympic team due to allegations of underage smoking in violation of the federation’s code of conduct.
Miyata, 19, was sent home from an Olympic prep camp in Monaco, according to Japan Gymnastics Association. The legal smoking age in Japan is 20.
She was notably absent from a practice in Monaco on Wednesday, which was open to media. “Due to circumstances, she is not participating today,” training director Hikaru Tanaka said, according to Japanese publication, The Mainichi.
JGA officials said Miyata arrived in Japan on Thursday after leaving the team’s training camp in Monaco for investigation, which confirmed the violation including drinking alcohol.
The women’s squad would compete with four athletes instead of five, the JGA told a media conference.
“We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for this,” JGA President Tadashi Fujita said, bowing deeply along with other officials including Miyata’s personal coach, Mutsumi Harada.
Earlier this year, Miyata dominated Japan’s most prestigious domestic competitions, winning the All-Japan Championships and the NHK Trophy, where she secured her Paris Olympic berth.
The loss of Miyata, who also won a bronze medal on the balance beam at the 2022 world championships, is a blow to the Japanese women’s team, which is eyeing their first team Olympic medal since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Gymnastics Association has yet to announce her official replacement, but two-time Olympian Aiko Sugihara has been training alongside the Japanese team after narrowly missing the Paris team.
The Japanese men’s gymnastics team will enter Paris as the gold medal favorites, helmed by reigning world all-around champion, Daiki Hashimoto. They have a difficulty edge on teams like China and the U.S. and have medaled in the team event at the last three Olympics.
