*This content was translated by AI.
As Takahiro Kitano, former head of Japan's Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton federation, who sparked international outrage by hurling racist slurs against Koreans at an official meeting, steps down from all positions, even athletes in Japan are reacting with cynical remarks such as "the inevitable has finally happened."
According to a recent report by Japanese media outlet 'TBS', former Japan bobsleigh national team members Genji Murakami and Yoshiteru Kaneko held a press conference in Tokyo to address Kitano's Jeon (Chairman) resignation the previous day.
At the press conference, Murakami stated, "Regardless of the discriminatory remarks that were exposed, we athletes have always discussed that 'such problematic remarks would eventually surface.'" He added, "You can easily imagine the atmosphere within the federation based on just that one sentence," revealing the internal sentiment.
He continued, "I understand that Kitano Jeon (Chairman) has frequently made discriminatory remarks targeting specific countries. This is based on what I have heard directly," suggesting that Kitano's Gi Ta-no (Chairman) hateful speech was not an isolated mistake but a chronic behavior.
According to leaked audio data previously exposed by Japanese media outlet 'Slow News', Kitano Jeon (Chairman) hurled personal insults at the director in charge of strengthening team performance during a policy meeting held in February. At the meeting, which was convened to address the federation's blunder of losing its qualification for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics due to an administrative error, the injured director proposed improvements to the support system for teams and athletes. Kitano Jeon (Chairman) blocked the discussion, stating, "Reporting results and analyzing them is something 'even a fool, or even a Chosenjin (Chosen)' can do," using a representative discriminatory slur against Koreans and causing great shock.
Notably, Kitano Jeon (Chairman) was a heavyweight in Japan's winter sports community, also serving as vice president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC). Even last month, he visited the Republic of Korea's 2018 PyeongChang Memorial Foundation in person to discuss the utilization of the PyeongChang Sliding Center and expanding cooperation, displaying a dualistic behavior that emphasized Japan-Korea friendship on the surface. According to testimonies from Japan federation officials, he openly displayed the prejudice that "Korea cannot be trusted," routinely ignoring cooperation proposals from the Korean side. It was also widely reported that he told athletes, "The president dislikes Korea, so cooperation is impossible."
As the severity of the situation spread into a racial discrimination scandal violating the Olympic Charter, Kitano Jeon (Chairman) ultimately resigned from his positions as JOC vice president and head of Japan's Yeon Maeng (Chairman) federation on the 12th. The autocratic system, which had monopolized the position for 14 years, exceeding the 12th-year term limit stipulated in the federation's bylaws, came to an ignominious end with a single outrageous remark.
In response to the news of the authoritarian leader's departure, voices of relief and hope are emerging from the field of Japan's winter sports community. Murakami conveyed the internal atmosphere, stating, "Now that Kitano Jeon (Chairman) has stepped down, I believe the federation will be normalized, and colleagues are beginning to say they will 'return to active duty once again.'" Kaneko also said, "We have been working to create an environment where active athletes can feel at ease and focus entirely on competition," and called for a comprehensive overhaul of the federation following the leader's resignation.
While the perpetrator voluntarily stepped down from his position and even local Japanese athletes have come forward to condemn the federation's chronic problems, the response from the victim nation, the Korea Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation, has left a bitter taste. While the Korean federation confirmed receiving an apology letter from the Japanese side, it maintained a lukewarm stance, stating, "There are no plans for any additional official statements or protests."
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*This content was translated by AI.
