Newz Forum: OLYMPICS: Coach Reportedly Hits Female Athlete For Losing

ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) - A South Korean judo coach has been suspended from his duties for hitting a female judoka at the Athens Olympics, team officials said on Tuesday.

Suh Joung-bok struck Ye Gue-rin around the neck after she lost a bout earlier this week, earning a prompt suspension when the International Judo Federation (IJF) became involved.

"The (ITJ) told us to withdraw him and so we have had to withdraw him," a South Korean official said, adding that Suh would not be sent home immediately.

The IJF ordered an immediate investigation after a Canadian athlete said he saw Suh hit Ye in a hallway having failed to reach the semi-finals of the women's 48-kg division.

Asian sport traditionally follows a strict code of discipline and many trainers view hitting as a legitimate coaching method.

South Korea's head judo coach Kim Do-jun said Suh had only "lightly hit" Ye.

However, the IJF took a stronger line, asking the South Koreans for a full explanation of the incident.

"Obviously, we cannot tolerate such behavior," IFJ media officer Michel Brousse told Reuters. "We don’t want this kind of thing to happen."

MSNBC

sounds like a case of confused mores.