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The mayor of the Japanese city of Nagoya on Thursday apologized for “biting” the Olympic gold medalist of a softball player who visited his office after Japan beat the United States in the final .
Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura praised shooter Mio Goto during his visit on August 4, but his eyes were on her gold medal. He asked her to put it around his neck, then Kawamura withdrew his muzzle and tried to bite.
“I am very sorry to have injured the treasure of the gold medalist,” Kawamura told reporters on Thursday.
The mayor said the medal was undamaged, despite his offer to pay for a new one.
Despite this, Goto accepted the IOC’s offer to replace her, according to Japanese media.
The “bite” of medals has become a staple of Olympic filming, but for the winners themselves, not for others.
The scene, captured on television, caused thousands of complaints to be sent to the town hall. Some athletes have said that they treat their medals like treasure and that it is outrageous for a Kawamura to “bite” of them.
“I would cry if that happened to me,” tweeted Naohisa Takato, the Japanese gold medalist in judo. “I treat my gold medal well so as not to scratch it.”
Yuki Ota, the silver medalist fencer, said the mayor’s behavior was inappropriate for athletes and a bad idea for COVID-19 measures.
Apparently, Goto considered keeping the original, but ultimately accepted the IOC’s offer of a replacement.
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