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Japanese ski star alleges bullying by teammates and coaches
🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

Japanese ski star alleges bullying by teammates and coaches

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Japanese freestyle skier Kokone Kondo has accused teammates and coaches of bullying and mistreatment during her time on the national team.
  • Kondo claims she was subjected to verbal abuse, exclusion, and defamation, even by individuals she considered friends.
  • The allegations include power harassment from a trainer during the 2026 Winter Olympics period, and she states she did not receive adequate medical treatment after her Olympic aspirations faded.

Kokone Kondo, a former Japanese freestyle skier, has broken her silence, alleging severe bullying and mistreatment within the national team. In a social media post, Kondo revealed she had reached her limit and felt compelled to speak out about the "damaging" experiences she endured during her time as a national athlete.

I'm sorry. I've reached my limit, so I'll tell you.

— Kokone KondoKokone Kondo announcing her decision to speak out about her experiences.

Kondo detailed instances of verbal abuse and unfair treatment, particularly during training related to concussions. She claims that certain individuals within the team dismissed the efforts of athletes, stating, "I know exactly who they are, and I think they should be able to say the same thing in front of me." She questioned the team's training methods, asking why discussing how athletes and coaches should respond to difficult situations wasn't considered part of the training itself.

I know exactly who they are, and I think they should be able to say the same thing in front of me.

— Kokone KondoKondo's statement about the individuals she claims mistreated her.

The alleged mistreatment extended beyond training sessions. Kondo reported facing slander and defamation after failing to qualify for the World Championships and the Olympics. She identified some perpetrators as former friends, including fellow athletes, coaches, and trainers. During overseas expeditions after the World Championships, she experienced persistent bullying from multiple athletes, who would ignore her attempts to communicate or deliberately exclude her.

Isn't it part of training to discuss how athletes and coaches should respond when facing such situations?

— Kokone KondoKondo questioning the team's approach to handling athlete welfare and difficult situations.

Further accusations include Kondo being defamed on social media using her name and account. She also cited "power harassment" from a national team trainer during the period leading up to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Kondo stated that after her chances of competing in the Olympics diminished, she did not receive appropriate medical care. She also mentioned that team officials did not see her off upon her return to Japan from Italy. Kondo announced her retirement in June, having previously been slated to represent Japan in slopestyle freestyle skiing at the 2026 Games. Japanese ski authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding these allegations.

Among those who bullied me were athletes and coaches I originally thought were friends.

— Kokone KondoKondo revealing the personal nature of the alleged bullying.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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