Olympic officials will replace Japanese athlete's gold medal after mayor bit it

Japanese softball player Miu Goto will have her Olympic gold medal replaced after a mayor controversially decided to bite the original.

Tokyo Olympics officials say they're replacing Goto's gold medal after Takashi Kawamura, the mayor of her hometown of Nagoya, bit the first one during a ceremony despite COVID-19 concerns, BBC News reports. The International Olympic Committee is reportedly set to cover the costs.

"With support from the International Olympic Committee and in line with her own intention, Ms Goto's medal is now set to be exchanged for a new one," Tokyo organizers said, per Reuters.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Kawamura previously came under fire for taking off his mask to bite the medal, including from Toyota, which owns the softball team Goto plays for, NBC News reports. The company said it was "unfortunate that he was unable to feel admiration and respect for the athlete" and "extremely regrettable that he was unable to give consideration to infection prevention." Kawamura apologized for acting in "an extremely inappropriate way," adding, "I am fully aware that I should reflect on that."