Shoko Miyata, the 19-year-old captain of Japan’s women’s artistic gymnastics for the Paris Olympics, is set to leave the team over allegations of smoking in violation of its conduct code, multiple sources close to the matter said Thursday.
The Japan Gymnastics Association is investigating and is expected to send Miyata home from its training camp in Monaco, leaving her participation in the Summer Games in doubt.
Miyata was not seen at Wednesday’s training, which was opened to the media, and JGA’s head of development, Hikaru Tanaka, said she was absent “for certain reasons.”
JGA and her Juntendo University team will interview Miyata and verify the facts once she returns to Japan.
Her potential absence will be a huge blow for the squad aiming to claim an Olympic team medal for the first time since the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Miyata won bronze in the balance beam and came eighth in the all-around at her debut world championships in 2022.
The Kyoto prefecture native won her maiden national championship this April and claimed her third straight NHK Cup in May to book her first Olympics ticket.
