Shoko Miyata- out for discipline violation?

[MaryClare]

From IG on instagram

 

[RedBirdie]

Wow.

 

[rlayt]

Japan seems really rules oriented.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat

 

[RedBirdie]

Apparently in Japan you must be 20 or older to smoke. So they're sending her home because of that, even though she was smoking in France, where the age is 18.

 

[MaryClare]

Apparently in Japan you must be 20 or older to smoke. So they're sending her home because of that, even though she was smoking in France, where the age is 18.

I mean, everyone was aware that Kohei Uchimura was smoking at that age

 

[KathySantoni]

Absurd.

 

[QuietColours]

Apparently in Japan you must be 20 or older to smoke. So they're sending her home because of that, even though she was smoking in France, where the age is 18.

Japanese law applies to citizens outside of their country as well. I'm guessing she also signed a conduct contract. She would have known this was a consequence if she got caught, and it seems like a really stupid risk to take.

The double standard with the male athletes, I can't speak to.

It really, really sucks though. Her gymnastics will be sorely missed just for her gymnastics, and it tanks any chances Japan had as a team (and limits what they can hope for individually).

 

[QuietColours]

It reminds me of the Murakami situation in the sense that Japan's instance on following the rules exactly is killing their chance for success, but not in the sense that Murakami couldn't control when she was injured vs. Miyata choosing to do something she knew wasn't allowed.

I'm very curious as to if this rule is being enforced in the same way for both male and female athletes across all sports

 

[RichardL]

This is such a huge bummer. What a waste. But if she knew the rules, also incredibly reckless.

 

[IratePanda]

It reminds me of the Murakami situation in the sense that Japan's instance on following the rules exactly is killing their chance for success, but not in the sense that Murakami couldn't control when she was injured vs. Miyata choosing to do something she knew wasn't allowed.

I'm very curious as to if this rule is being enforced in the same way for both male and female athletes across all sports

In Murakami's case, the Japanese Federation followed its own rules. In Miyata's case, they're punishing her not only for breaking the rules, but also for some egregious social and cultural transgressions. As team captain, she's supposed to set a good example for the other gymnasts. As the member of a team--and as a representative of Japan--she's expected to prioritize the collective good over her personal whims. If she really isn't allowed to compete in Paris and Japan fails to make TF, she'll be blamed.

I would like to believe the same standards would apply to male athletes, but the double standard persists in many aspects of Japanese life. (Let’s be honest, though--the "boys will be boys" mentality exists in just about every society on earth.)

 

[tempest]

It always amazes me that someone like Kohei Uchimura(or any high level athlete) smokes... do any of the US gymnasts?

 

[cftmoonlight79]

I have never suspected any of smoking, but who knows? How the hell can they do all that with that habit? I can barely handle my own mid 40-year old workouts without being a smoker.

 

[MaryClare]

It always amazes me that someone like Kohei Uchimura(or any high level athlete) smokes... do any of the US gymnasts?

Wasn’t there an infamous interaction where Sacramone told Severino to stop blowing smoke in her face? 2006 worlds perhaps

 

[Hatsumomo]

This is the first time I'm hearing about that

 

[IratePanda]

I have never suspected any of smoking, but who knows? How the hell can they do all that with that habit? I can barely handle my own mid 40-year old workouts without being a smoker.

I hear you--especially during the summer, when we have air quality alerts almost every day. I'm very fit for my age, but sometimes it feels like I can't get enough air into my lungs. I can't imagine adding toxins from cigarettes to all of the ambient pollutants.

 

[Puffin]

Wasn't smoking promoted back in the 70s gymnastics scene for weight control? - ie when you feel hungry you had a cigarette? I remember Olga Korbut talking about taking up smoking to stay thin (as a tween IIRC)

 

[MaryClare]

Wasn't smoking promoted back in the 70s gymnastics scene for weight control? - ie when you feel hungry you had a cigarette? I remember Olga Korbut talking about taking up smoking to stay thin (as a tween IIRC)

I don’t think it was in any way promoted, it was just a lot more socially acceptable. I don’t think in any era, smoking was especially prevalent amongst female gymnasts. Ballet however, different story.

When I was a teenager (mid 00s) I trained in RG both in UK and Russia. In the UK, most of us smoked to some extent but that was not unusual and nothing to do with gymnastics and there wasn’t any direct association with suppressing appetite. In Russia it was less common to smoke, although the coaches were less bothered about it. But there was a lot more peer pressure on weight and eating habits. I see my former coaches and team mates every now and then, and I still would feel totally uncomfortable eating in front of them.

 

[irichluck21]

Is Japan going to fly in the alternate (if she s not already there)? I hope so.
The team has 2 new seniors (1996) on it too.

 

[blake]

Is Japan going to fly in the alternate (if she s not already there)? I hope so.
The team has 2 new seniors (1996) on it too.

What a way for Sugihara Aiko to become a 3x Olympian.