Hashimoto elected Japanese Olympic Committee chief
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese Olympic Committee elected former speed skater and cyclist Seiko Hashimoto as its new president on Thursday night, making her the first woman to head the governing body.
The election of Hashimoto, 60, currently a House of Councillors member, however, is likely to draw criticism due to her involvement in a political funds scandal that has shaken the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to its core.
It might also cause controversy from the perspective of political neutrality.
After failing to agree on a candidate, the JOC held a board vote for the first time since it became independent of the Japan Amateur Sports Association, currently the Japan Sport Association, in 1989.
The voting results were not disclosed, but Hashimoto received more votes than the other two candidates, Yuko Mitsuya, 66, who has served as acting JOC president, and former Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima, 67. The JOC president's term is two years.
Yasuhiro Yamashita, the open category judo gold medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, suffered a cervical vertebrae injury in October 2023 during his third term as JOC president and has been unable to fulfill his duties since.
"I'm honored to become the JOC's female president," Hashimoto said. "I believe the JOC's mission is to bid again to host the Olympics and Paralympics, and to show the world the games serve as a symbol of world peace."
Hashimoto made a total of seven Olympic appearances, in speed skating at winter and cycling at summer games.
She also headed the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee during the games in 2021 after serving as Olympic minister.
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