TOKYO (AP) — Judo’s governing body has formally warned a coach who slapped a female athlete hard in the face twice to prepare her for an Olympic bout.
German judoka Martyna Trajdos later defended coach Claudiu Pusa from criticism, saying it was her request “to fire me up” before stepping on the mat.
That did not satisfy the International Judo Federation, who issued the warning a day after the incident shocked Olympic viewers.
The IJF said it issued “a serious official warning” for the Germany team coach for “the bad behavior he showed.”
Judo “is an educational sport and as such cannot tolerate such behavior,” the governing body says.
Trajdos, who lost the bout, later wrote on Instagram that “Looks like this was not hard enough” in reference to the slaps.
