Japanese Gymnast Shoko Miyata Sent Home From Olympics for Smoking, per Report

Patrick Andres | Jul 18, 2024

Aug 6, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; A general view of the Olympic rings as seen from Daiba during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games. / Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

A little over a week before the Olympics get underway in Paris, Japan's gymnastics squad has reportedly been dealt a major blow.

Japanese gymnast Shoko Miyata has been sent home from France for violating a Japan Gymnastics Association ban on smoking, according to a Thursday morning report from Kyodo News.

Miyata, 19, will reportedly be interviewed by the Japanese national federation and her Tokyo university.

The stunning news comes just 10 days before women's artistic gymnastics competition begins in Paris.

Miyata—who was Japan's team captain—won a bronze medal in the balance beam at the 2022 world championships in Liverpool. She also owns three Asian Championships and three World University Games medals.

After back-to-back silver medals in the competition, she won her first gold in Japan's national championships in April.

As noted by Kyodo News, the Japanese have not medaled in the women's team all-around competition since 1964 on home soil in Tokyo.