Japanese Olympic Official Denies Sexual Harassment Claim

(ATR) The International Skating Union is taking no action against the Japanese federation president over allegations that she harassed figure skater Daisuke Takahashi.

Japanese Olympic Committee official Seiko Hashimoto has apologized following the publication of a report in the weekly Shukan Bunshun magazine that said she harassed Vancouver 2010 figure skating bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi.

According to the report, she forced Takahashi to repeatedly kiss her during a booze-fueled party after the Sochi Olympics, according to the Kyodo news agency. Photos show Hashimoto hugging and kissing the 28-year-old at the Olympic Village.

The 49-year-old, who participated in speed skating at four Winter Olympics, winning bronze in 1992, was Japan's chef de mission in Sochi and also served as an Executive Committee member for the Tokyo 2020 bid. Hashimoto, a member of theLiberal Democratic party in the Upper House, denies any wrongdoing.

In her apology, Hashimoto admitted "my behavior was shameful and I am reflecting deeply on that". Takahashi’s representatives brushed off the incident, saying the skater was not a victim of sexual harassment.

The International Skating Union tells Around the Rings it has not received any complaints about the incident involvingHashimoto. An ISU spokeswoman said the matter would be handled by the Japanese federation unless the global governing body for the sport received a formal complaint about her.

The Japanese Olympic Committee has decided to take no action.

Hashimoto is set to keep her current positions in Japanese sport, including her role as the JOC’s head of development.

"We have looked at the whole picture and as a result, we are not thinking of making this into a problem," JOC president Tsunekazu Takeda, was quoted by Kyodo.

Reported by Mark Bisson.

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