Olympian Defends Coach's Controversial Face Slap Before Competition
A German judo player made headlines for what she referred to as her chosen pre-competition ritual.
The Tokyo Olympics has been riddled with controversy before they even began, and most recently, the criticism turned to a male judo coach who shook and slapped a female athlete on the face before she entered the ring. Ahead of German judo player Martyna Trajdos' big face-off against Hungary on July 27, her coach, Claudiu Pusa, was captured shaking her by the collar and slapping her cheeks. Trajdos appeared unfazed, nodded, and stepped into the ring after the interaction, but the moment soon went viral with Pusa's approach facing serious criticism, including from judo officials. Trajdos, however, had a very different reaction. Read on to find out what the Olympian had to say about the slap heard 'round the world.
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The judo player on the receiving end of the slap defended her coach at the Olympics.
On Friday, Trajdos posted another Instagram, saying she was "super disappointed" by her performance at the Olympics ultimately. "I wanted to present the best version of myself, to recompense all the hard work, pain and tears which were put into it," she wrote. "I don't have any excuses, I'm just very sad and disappointed, those scars will stay."
Trajdos had one more shot at an Olympic medal on Saturday in the first mixed team judo event ever held at the Games. The German team earned bronze in the historic competition, according to Reuters.
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