Japan at center of two controversies involving athletes and judges or officials

BEIJING — One Japanese athlete speaks out about the need to improve judging in his event, while another apologizes to her nation after a dubious disqualification.

Japanese Olympic officials said Sunday in a press conference they were supporting ski jumper Takanashi Sara, but had no plan of making an official complaint regarding her disqualification from the mixed team final for violating suit regulations.

“Our priority right now is to help and support our athletes,” said Ito Hidehito, chef de mission for the Japanese Olympic team. “We have no plan of officially making a complaint about this topic, although the Japan ski federation may make an official comment.”

Meanwhile, the snowboard world is still buzzing about the halfpipe gold medal won by Hirano Ayumu, who has called for changes in the judging system.

“It’s not quite sound,” he said.

Hirano received a lower-than-expected score on his second run that included landing the first triple cork in Olympic competition. The NBC commentators were apoplectic, saying he had been robbed.

Luckily for Hirano, he was also exceptional on his third run, landing the triple cork again to become the first athlete to win gold for Japan in snowboarding.

“We want to have sound standards and I think we should look into exactly what the judges were looking at,” Hirano said after the event. “When the athletes take on a huge risk performing a trick, perhaps they can reflect that risk-taking more in the scoring. There might need to be a different system in place to reflect all those elements in the scoring.”

He said there’s a lot of freedom in snowboarding, which makes the sport attractive.

“But we are competing,” Hirano added. “The ‘wow’ factor, how you can touch people through your performance, that’s important too. But at the Games, in terms of the amplitude, the grabs, we need to measure those accurately and assess those and score those accurately.”

Takanashi was one of five female ski jumpers said to have violated guidelines while competing in the mixed team jumping final. One said she had worn the same suits without an issue, but the way they were measured had changed. Another said it was “how you destroy nations.”

Takanashi apologized after her suit was deemed two cm too big around the thighs and supposedly offered an aerodynamic advantage.

“It is undeniable that my disqualification changed everyone’s lives,” said Takanashi, who had recorded a big first jump. “Even if I apologize the medal will not be returned.”

Japan placed fourth.

“She is really taking it all on her, so we want to tell her you cannot retrieve something that happened already,” Ito said. “She has her career as a jumper ahead and every one of us is going to take care of her.”

Harado Masahiko, deputy chef de mission, added “it was a team event, so I understand her feelings, but so many people cheered her up. Her teammates and citizens of Japan have been supporting her, and now she’s OK.”

He said Takanashi, 25, the 2018 Olympic bronze medalist, is a “person with a huge sense of responsibility. If I may wear her shoes, it makes me speechless, but what’s more important than the result is the sense of responsibility on behalf of the entire team.

He said she is getting ready for the World Cup in Europe.

Ito was asked about the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event, in which Japan won the bronze. It has been delayed because of the ongoing CAS arbitration case involving Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee team, who tested positive for a banned substance in December.

“The ceremony is not taking place, and that’s regretful, but this is not about Japan,” Ito said.  “The athletes might be disappointed because of the lack of a ceremony at this point, but doping allegations are not in the minds of the athletes.”

“They are interested in finding out if there is going to be a ceremony while they are here (in Beijing) before the end of the Games. That is the only concern they are raising.”

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