Japan’s Gymnastics Captain Forced to Quit Olympics Over Smoking, Drinking

Shoko Miyata, the 19-year-old captain of Japan’s women’s gymnastics team, has backed out of the Paris Olympics after she admitted to underage smoking and drinking, the Japan Gymnastics Association announced Friday. According to The Japan Times , the JGA on Monday received information about the Juntendo University student’s cigarette and alcohol use, both of which are illegal for those under the age of 20 in Japan. Miyata reportedly admitted to the allegations on Tuesday and told JGA officials on Thursday she smoked during her personal time and drank at Tokyo’s National Training Center in recent weeks. JGA executive Kenji Nishimura said Miyata explained she did so “out of pressure” she faced for the upcoming games. Both actions violated the association’s code of conduct, and Miyata opted to leave the team, according to the Times . Miyata previously snagged a bronze medal at a 2022 World Championship balance beam event.

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