By Mari Yamaguchi
A Japanese mayor apologized Thursday for biting the Olympic gold medal of a softball player who had paid a courtesy visit after Japan beat the United States in the final.
Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura had praised pitcher Miu Goto during the Aug. 4 visit, but his eyes were glued to her medal. He asked her to put it around his neck. Kawamura then pulled down his face mask and bit into it.
“I’m really sorry that I hurt the treasure of the gold medalist,” Kawamura told reporters Thursday.
The mayor said the medal was undamaged, though he offered to pay for the cost of a new one.
Goto, however, has accepted the International Olympic Committee's offer of a replacement, according to Japanese media reports.
The medal bite has become a staple of Olympic photo-ops — but for the winners themselves, not others.
The scene broadcast on television prompted thousands of complaints to city hall. Some Olympians said they treat their medals as treasures and that it was outrageous for Kawamura to bite one.
“I would cry if that happened to me,” Naohisa Takato, who won gold for Japan in judo, said in a tweet. “I handle my own gold medal so gently not to scratch it.”
Yuki Ota, a silver-medal winning fencer, said the mayor's action was disrespectful to athletes and was a bad idea for COVID-19 measures.
Goto reportedly considered keeping the original but eventually accepted the IOC offer of a replacement.
The top entertainment headlines for Monday, February 13, 2023.
TikTok mastermind Armen Adamjan, AKA @creative_explained, shares a few of his favorite household hacks, including one that will help keep your fresh roses alive a lot longer.
Rihanna has delivered a soaring Super Bowl halftime performance with a major surprise — she is pregnant with her second child.
Another unidentified object was shot down over the weekend, contractors arrested in Turkey after buildings crumbled in earthquake, and arrests in Baton Rouge shooting that injured 12. Here is everything you Need2Know for Monday, February 13, 2023.
This photo provided by Avocados From Mexico shows a scene from Avocados From Mexico Super Bowl NFL football spot. (Avocados From Mexico via AP)
The third installment in the “Magic Mike” series danced its way to the top of the box office charts this weekend with a James Cameron double header, “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Titanic” (yes that “Titanic”), looming close behind.
In an age when exclusivity can pique interest and even raise value, New York Fashion Week and fintech firm Afterpay are looking to do a 180-degree turn on the runway and open up access to all.
Baristas had their shifts boosted after a couple brought in their pup, a five-month-old Pomeranian Husky named Knox, for a pup-cup.
This Valentine's Day, Americans are expected to drop billions of dollars — all in the name of love.
The top entertainment headlines for February 10, 2023.
