A MEMBER of Japan’s gold medal-winning softball team will have her medal replaced with a fresh one after the mayor of her hometown chomped down on the original, Tokyo 2020 organisers said today following outcry on social media.

At an event held last week to celebrate Miu Goto’s achievement, Takashi Kawamura, mayor of the central Japanese city of Nagoya, pulled down his mask and put the gold medal between his teeth.

“With support from the International Olympic Committee and in line with her own intention, Ms Goto’s medal is now set to be exchanged for a new one,” Tokyo 2020 organisers said, adding that the IOC will bear the cost of the exchange.

The mayor received a wave of criticism on social media for disregarding coronavirus etiquette and was accused of showing a lack of respect for her feat. 

There was even a rare rebuke from car firm Toyota, owner of the Red Terriers softball team that Goto plays for, which said it was “extremely regrettable that he was unable to give consideration to [Covid-19] infection prevention.”