Wrestling body to probe high-profile power harassment scandal

March 7, 2018

Tokyo- The Japan Wrestling Federation's ethics committee decided Tuesday to set up a third-party panel to investigate alleged power harassment of four-time Olympic gold medalist Kaori Icho by the head of the federation's training headquarters, who is her former coach.

It came to light last week that a complaint of the alleged power harassment was submitted to a related panel of the Cabinet Office in January.

Icho said in a statement later last week that she had nothing to do with the submitted complaint but would consider giving explanations if she receives a formal inquiry from a proper organization.

The five-member ethics committee unanimously decided at a meeting on Tuesday to set up a panel of several lawyers to conduct hearings on the matter. The panel of lawyers is expected to question concerned people, including Icho and the training chief, Kazuhito Sakae, over the next two or three weeks.

According to the complaint, Sakae allegedly prohibited Icho from using a facility of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department, her main place to practice, and pressured Chikara Tanabe, a coach for the national team of male wrestlers, to stop training her.

The alleged power harassment began after Icho left the mentorship of Sakae following her second straight Olympic victory in a women's wrestling event in the 2008 Beijing Games.

Sakae and the federation have denied the allegation.

After extending her winning streak to a fourth Olympics in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, Icho was presented with the People's Honor Award by the Japanese government and listed in Guinness World Records.

In the Rio Games, Icho became the first woman to capture gold medals in four straight Olympics in any individual event. Jiji Press