TOKYO - The mayor of Nagoya, Takashi Kawamura, has sparked a fury online after he bit the medal belonging to softball player Miu Goto and in the process "tarnished" it at an event to celebrate Japan's win over the United States in the final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
This has resulted in the Olympic gold medallist having to be given a replacement.
The mayor has also been accused of ignoring Covid-19 precautions by lowering his mask in doing so.
Olympic officials have now stated the medal belonging to Goto will be replaced with an "'untarnished" one and the mayor has offered to pay for the cost of the replacement.
Social media users have slammed the mayor for doing an unhygenic act and displayed disrespect to the athlete.
"Apart from showing a lack of respect for athletes, he bit it even though [athletes] are putting on medals themselves or on their team-mates during medal ceremonies as part of infection prevention measures. Sorry, I can't understand it," Japanese silver medallist fencer Yuki Ota wrote on Twitter.
"Germ medal" was soon trending on social media in Japan.
Even Toyota, the owners of the team Goto plays for, condemned the gesture, calling it "inappropriate" and "extremely regrettable".
The 72-year-old mayor's act prompted over 7,000 complaints to city authorities.
"I forgot my position as Nagoya mayor and acted in an extremely inappropriate way," he said.
A statement from Tokyo 2020 organisers on Thursday said the replacement had been agreed between the International Olympic Committee and Goto. The IOC would cover the costs, it said. - Agencies. August 13, 2021
