Disgraced Japanese swimmer 'lost his mind,' says JOC

Sounds like he's swimming in denial.

"He is an adult and acted on his own volition, and as such is responsible for his own actions." I wish we would hear this after reading stories of police, entertainer, or politician misconduct.

No, he stole it becuase he wanted it and thought he could get away with it.

The devil can only tempt. He can never compel you to yield to. You can resist, and he will flee from... Temptation is a test of a person's ability to choose good instead of evil. Part of this life is to learn to overcome temptation and to choose right over wrong. Tomita choose wrong and will have to pay the price when the swimming officials decide on the final decision for his punishment.

Jerseyboy:

Holy cow. This is the best a senior JOC member can offer? Just shut up next time, you'll look much more intelligent.

Probably not the best translation. Sounds like they bombarded him with questions and took whatever would make him look worst.

He stole from a journalist. They tend to take care of their own - look forward to this story getting a lot of follow up, far more than if he had just trashed a hotel room.

The message being sent to athletes and sporting associations is: leave journalists alone, or we will crucify you.

Could he have been after the photos rather than the camera? I suppose a couple of photos could be worth a lot more than the camera itself. Or maybe he has a special interest for athletes in swimsuits. Perhaps he did something stupid which he was afraid was caught on the journalist's camera (like the CCTV camera did).

"Lost his mind" meaning... drunk? on drugs? Oliver Twist? or he's just plain stupid? Help me out here....

Bottom line, dude did the crime, got away with only a fine, and using a lame excuse of I lost my mind...

oh so sad about what happened to him.

“I read in the media that he said he didn’t do it but I don’t think he was in his usual mental state,” Japan’s chef de mission Tsuyoshi Aoki told a press conference.

“The context of the question and his answer are unclear so it’s not correct to comment,” he added.

If 'it's not correct to comment' why did Mr. Aoki comment at all? Just say, 'No comment' if it is not correct to comment.

@Laguna

Sounds like he's swimming in denial.

That pun was there and way too hard to pass up on. If you didn't write it - I would have. ;-)

He embarrassed his country and himself. Hopefully he learns from this experience and keeps "the devil" at bay.

@ Scrote - that excuse only works for Salarymen and J-Cops, I'm afraid!

Of course he lost his mind - Japanese people do not steal stuff.

I enjoyed reading the comments especially farmboys, some people just like 5 finger disscounts

I think people are taking the "airbrushed the broken elevator, no hot water and bad food" comment the wrong way. My take is that, well we have an idiot on our team, let's try not to annoy the Koreans more by saying that their hospitality is crap. And we won't even mention the air conditioners during the badminton tournament or even the clearly messed up boxing results that skewed in favour of Korea. We won't mention any of that because our guy was an idiot.

Amazing how no one here mentioned "kleptomania". Even so, it's a crime anyway, of course.

Of course, "The devil made him do it!"

Typical Japanese way of doing things...

They all do something bad, then they make a stupid excuse saying they did what they did because of something that has taken control of their minds. What a lame excuse!!,

He should have been fined for at least $3000. And made to replace the camera that he stole with a brand new camera.

Swimming star Kosuke Hagino has been Japan’s standout performer with a haul of seven medals, including four golds.

The Mark Spitz of Japan! Well done, Hagino!

Must have inhaled some strange smoke.

I wonder if he had won medals would they say he lost his mind and say the thank the devil he won

The world over, I don't know why people give athletes credit for being smart, nice or even honest. Ben Johnson, Tonya Harding, Lance Armstrong, Futahaguro, Pete Rose, endless South Asian cricketers and Hanse Cronje… look at any sport in the world and you will find them. Some are just not very smart. And what sort of 'devil'? One that would fancy one $7,600 camera but not realize there were probably about 100 security cameras around. Sounds like human stupidity not fictitious malevolent spirit. Given the pasting he is getting in the comments here just imagine what the Japanese press and public will give him. OR, as happens sometimes, it is so shameful to all Japanese that little comment will be made. Either way, he has blown his career,is unemployable and is in a poor mental state - suicide watch for this screwed up guy. Seriously.

He will "Lost his mind again" if see such news

'stealing the $7,600 camera'

I wonder why the devil hasn't used his diabolical powers to tempt people to nick my $150 camera? Snob.

Right, he lost his focus... It shifted from the bronze to the 700,000 yen camera... And then got caught on camera, not winning but loosing!

@vallum ... Amazing how no one here mentioned "kleptomania". Even so, it's a crime anyway, of course.

Exactly what I was thinking. Such an awkward stupid crime. If he had to do something obsessive compulsive, he could have just posted something on an internet discussion board. Maybe that will be his cure. Maybe we can help him.

The theft “happened in a flash, an act of impulse—like the devil got a hold of him.

No devil, it's called opprtunistic theft.

Tomita was expelled from Japan’s delegation and told to pay for his own air ticket home after admitting to stealing the $7,600 camera

Good action taken by the team. He should also face a period of expulsion from some future events too.

while swimming he drop his honor deep in the water

it was the voices! the voices in my head!

Cand1date: And we won't even mention the air conditioners during the badminton tournament or even the clearly messed up boxing results that skewed in favour of Korea.

I was going to say, badminton teams are supposed to switch court sides during the course of match, to even out problems with lighting, etc. But looks like Chinese teams as well are complaining about A/C wind direction changing during the match, to favor the Koreans.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/asian-games-not-cool/1383404.html

smithinjapan, He shouldn't live as a world famous criminal for the rest of his life. He should be allowed to survive. Maybe he can open a coffee shop named "Gomennasai", something like that.

The Japanese delegation air-brushed over reports of broken elevators, a lack of hot water and complaints about the food in the athletes’ village

Trying to air-brush over a theft and subsequent lies, too?

Let me guess: he was drunk and had no recollection of taking the camera.

J news says Tomita's mental condition is unstable. He wouldn't eat and vomit if eat.

Sorry to hear that. The same thing happened to Obokata, right? Japanese people really don't do well when placed in the public spotlight.

I hope everyone just leaves him alone, especially the rapacious Japanese media.

"Those who have not sin should cast the first stone."

tinawatanabe: "J news says Tomita's mental condition is unstable. He wouldn't eat and vomit if eat. At least he was not so famous, so people forget about him soon, and he has a second chance."

Oh, the excuses when it's a Japanese athlete! Quick question... if he was so stable, why was he allowed to participate in the games? And if he's so unstable, should he not be kept from swimming or other stressful situations like the Olympics in the future? Or wait... is that suddenly not fair?

J news says Tomita's mental condition is unstable. He wouldn't eat and vomit if eat. At least he was not so famous, so people forget about him soon, and he has a second chance.

Aoki just apologize for embarrassment suffered, and not really for the actual act.

@smithjapan Couldn't agree with you more. Additionally, he apologized to the people of Japan first and foremost with no mention whatsoever of the host country our its citizens, other than officials and the organizing committee ("we deeply apologize for the trouble caused to the Japanese people, to officials and to the organizing committee").

Why couldn't he at least said, "we apologize to the people of SK and Japan"? And in these situations, why do Japanese representatives invariably find it so hard to say "I'm sorry" to people from SK (rhetorical questions)?

like the devil got a hold of him

Nice. Poetic imagery.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannya#mediaviewer/File:Hannya.jpg

Well, it kinda fits the Japan's pattern unfortunately. Do something bad, then deny deny and deny, then airbrush out the history as it never happened. You know what I mean?

“He broke the team’s code of conduct and we deeply apologize for the trouble caused to the Japanese people, to officials and to the organizing committee,”

How about the trouble you caused the person who owned the camera? The officials in SK? As usual, people like Aoki just apologize for embarrassment suffered, and not really for the actual act. People are asking why Aoki even bothered to comment at all if he's going to make extremely lame excuses like "like the devil was inside him!" or say, "it's not appropriate to comment on", and I agree with them asking why, save for one thing. I think all this commenting is just a set-up to gauge public response because I don't think they don't want to put too strict a punishment on a potential future medal winner. This "he was not in his right mind" and the denials by the moron Tomita himself are a preparation for him to return to the team.

tinawatanabe: "smithinjapan, He shouldn't live as a world famous criminal for the rest of his life."

First off, I doubt many people outside Japan and swimming in Asia know his name at all except his name becoming a bit bigger through infamy, so he can hardly be called world famous. Secondly, if the shoe fits, wear it. He IS a criminal, and he should be known as a criminal for the time being, and if that means people remember him as the moron who stole the camera, perhaps people like him ought to think twice before committing crimes at major events.

"He should be allowed to survive."

He will. But he should not be allowed to survive as a swimmer representing Japan unless you want to be embarrassed all the time, Tina. If he were Chinese you definitely wouldn't be talking about how he was 'mentally unstable' at the time and should not be seen as a criminal, etc.

"Maybe he can open a coffee shop named "Gomennasai", something like that."

Sure, and next to the door there should be a sign that says, "Please be sure to keep an eye on your cameras and other belongings or they might go missing"!

This is not like he just said something bad about another delegation, he COMMITTED A CRIME! What's more, he tried to deny it later. He's lucky he was not prosecuted, and he should not be allowed to represent Japan at any future international sports events. Now, back home in swimming events, maybe.

The theft “happened in a flash, an act of impulse—like the devil got a hold of him.

Holy cow. This is the best a senior JOC member can offer? Just shut up next time, you'll look much more intelligent.

Tomita's denial and absurb excuse has set back Japan's image. I thought denial and excuses belong to the politicians nowadays. If he had any real Japanese still in him he would commit harikiri. What else can he do? He certainly can't walk around like nothing happened.

Or he could come up with a unique Japanese excuse - the Korean cameraman had offered his camera to him for money. "I did not steal it, it was just business, but I apologize for causing so much trouble".