Naoya Tomita

2.1. Birth and Background

Naoya Tomita was born on April 22, 1989, in Tōkai, Aichi, Japan. He is 69 in ^{(174 cm)} tall and weighs 163 lb ^{(74 kg)}, with a blood type of A.

2.2. Education

Tomita attended Toyokawa High School before enrolling in and graduating from Chukyo University.

3.1. Early Career and Major Achievements

Tomita specialized in breaststroke, excelling particularly in the 200m event over the 100m. In 2009, he competed in the 2009 World Aquatics Championships where he finished 17th in the preliminaries of the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 10.85 seconds. The following year, at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, he placed fourth in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 10.99 seconds.

His major breakthroughs occurred in 2010, when he secured gold medals in the 200m breaststroke at two prestigious international events. He first won at the FINA World Swimming Championships (short course) held in Dubai, followed by another gold at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, where he clocked 2 minutes, 10.36 seconds. These victories positioned him as a promising talent in the sport, drawing significant media attention.

In 2011, at the Japan Swimming Championships, which served as a selection trial for international competitions after the original event was canceled due to the Tōhoku earthquake, Tomita showcased strong performances. He finished fifth in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 28.40 seconds, third in the 100m breaststroke at 1 minute, 0.93 seconds, and most notably, he won the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 8.25 seconds, notably defeating established swimmer Kosuke Kitajima. This performance earned him a spot on the Japanese national team for the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, and his 200m breaststroke time was the fastest in the world that year.

3.2. Slumps and Olympic Setbacks

Following his strong showing and selection for the 2011 World Championships, Tomita experienced a significant downturn in his performance, entering a period of slump. At the 2011 World Championships, despite high expectations, he finished 12th in the semifinals of the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 11.98 seconds, failing to advance further.

The slump continued into 2012, affecting his aspirations for the London Olympics. At the 2012 Japan Championships, he placed sixth in both the 100m breaststroke (1 minute, 1.17 seconds) and the 200m breaststroke (2 minutes, 11.76 seconds). These results meant he failed to qualify for the Olympic Games. Reflecting on this period, Tomita stated, "I tried not to be aware of the slump, but it continued. Unlike Kosuke Kitajima, I'm weak in actual competitions, so I envy him."

3.3. Personal Best Times

Naoya Tomita's personal best times in his primary breaststroke events are as follows:

• 50m breaststroke - 27.93 seconds
• 100m breaststroke - 1 minute, 0.60 seconds
• 200m breaststroke - 2 minutes, 8.25 seconds

4.1. Incident and Admission of Guilt

On September 25, 2014, while attending a swimming event at the Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center to support his teammates, Tomita was accused of stealing a camera belonging to a reporter from the Yonhap News Agency. The camera in question was a professional-grade Canon EOS-1D X body, valued at approximately 8.00 M KRW (around 700.00 K JPY at the time). Tomita allegedly removed the lens and took only the camera body when the reporter was away from their seat.

The following day, after competing in the 50m breaststroke preliminaries, Tomita was questioned by the Incheon Michuhol Police Station. During the interrogation, he admitted to the theft, stating, "I saw it and wanted it." The stolen camera body was subsequently discovered inside Tomita's bag in his room at the athletes' village.

The incident was widely reported in both Japan and South Korea. Following his admission, the Japan Swimming Federation immediately expelled Tomita from the Japanese delegation. Tsuyoshi Aoki, the head of the Japanese delegation, held a press conference to formally apologize for Tomita's actions. Tomita was also placed under a travel ban, preventing him from leaving South Korea while the investigation continued.

On September 29, the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office issued a simplified indictment, imposing a fine of 1.00 M KRW on Tomita. The prosecution explained that while they considered a suspended indictment due to the ongoing Asian Games and the victim's stated desire not to press charges, they opted for a fine to ensure that a high-value item theft was treated consistently with how a South Korean citizen would be penalized. Tomita departed from Gimpo International Airport on October 1, bowing to gathered reporters and stating, "I am truly sorry for causing such a disturbance."

4.2. Disciplinary Actions and Outcomes

The consequences for Tomita were swift and severe. In October 2014, his employer, the sports apparel manufacturer Descente Ltd., announced his dismissal. On October 7, the Japan Swimming Federation banned him from competitive swimming for 18 months, with the suspension lasting until the end of March 2016. Tomita did not appeal this decision within the designated period, and the ban was officially confirmed on October 30. Following the conclusion of his ban, Tomita made a public appearance on a television program on May 1, 2016.

5.1. Denial of Guilt and Claims of Framing

Upon his return to Japan, Naoya Tomita convened a press conference in Nagoya on November 6, 2014, where he abruptly denied having stolen the camera. He claimed that he had been framed by a third party, specifically an "East Asian man in green pants," who had allegedly forced the camera into his bag. Tomita detailed that this "trouble" occurred on a long, rectangular stand, approximately 28 in ^{(70 cm)} high and several meters in length and width, located next to the main pool. His lawyer, Takenjiro Kunita, used dozens of photos to illustrate how this incident supposedly transpired, asserting that the stranger "pressed something like trash" into Tomita's bag.

Tomita also alleged that the Korean police interrogation was biased, treating him as a criminal from the outset. He claimed that the interpreter threatened him, stating he might not be allowed to return to Japan if he did not confess, thus coercing him into making a false admission without being given a proper opportunity to explain his situation.

5.2. Stance of Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC)

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) swiftly contradicted Tomita's claims, stating that his account was difficult to trust. The JOC confirmed that two of their staff members had been shown the CCTV footage by the Korean police and had observed Tomita placing the camera into his bag. Furthermore, the JOC asserted that Japanese staff members were present throughout the local police investigation, and there were no issues with the Japanese language capabilities of the interpreter. This official stance by the JOC directly challenged Tomita's narrative of coercion and innocence. However, Tomita's lawyer, Kunita, claimed that when he contacted Tsuyoshi Aoki, the head of the Japanese delegation, Aoki stated he had not personally seen the hidden camera footage but had only received reports. Kunita questioned who exactly within the JOC had confirmed seeing the decisive footage of the crime.

5.3. Court Proceedings and Evidence Analysis

The legal proceedings in South Korea continued despite Tomita's denial. On February 2, 2015, during the second hearing at the Incheon District Court, a significant issue arose regarding the key evidence: the CCTV footage of the alleged theft. The defense argued that the footage presented by the prosecution was too unclear to be admitted as evidence, leading to a postponement of the complete video's submission until the next hearing. Tomita's lawyer emphasized that for the footage to serve as conclusive evidence, it must show "the entire sequence of actions, from beginning to end, of the individual stealing the camera." Adding to the procedural difficulties, the court interpreter was absent from this hearing due to a scheduling error, leaving Tomita to state he "didn't understand much" of the proceedings as the details were largely unexplained in Japanese.

On April 9, at the third hearing, a clearer version of the CCTV footage was presented. The judge presiding over the case made critical observations, noting that "no third party was confirmed in the vicinity" of the incident. The judge also acknowledged that "someone was seen opening a bag and placing a black object inside, then immediately taking it away." However, crucially, the judge pointed out that they "cannot confirm whether the person in the footage is Tomita." Tomita expressed happiness regarding this specific remark by the judge. The prosecution, in response, stated its intention to prove that it could only have been Tomita, as no other individual capable of such an act was present. Prior to the hearing, Tomita's lawyer had claimed that the CCTV footage would not show Tomita directly placing the camera into his bag. However, the footage shown in court did indeed confirm a man putting a black object into the bag. Korean media widely reported that the prosecution's evidence appeared weak, as it was unclear whether the "black object" was actually the camera, and the footage presented was far shorter than the 20 to 30 minutes that Korean police had initially claimed to possess, which reportedly showed Tomita struggling to fit the camera into his bag, then removing the lens and concealing the camera body. Tomita's legal team requested the results of any fingerprint analysis conducted on the victim's camera lens.

5.4. Guilty Verdict and Final Decision

On May 28, 2015, the Incheon District Court delivered its verdict, finding Naoya Tomita guilty of theft, aligning with the prosecution's request. The court ordered him to pay a fine of 1.00 M KRW (approximately 110.00 K JPY). The court explicitly rejected Tomita's defense that a third party was responsible for placing the camera in his bag, stating that "no third party was seen on the CCTV" and that his "account of acquiring the stolen item and his actions thereafter were difficult to believe and incredible."

Following the verdict, Tomita maintained his innocence, stating, "I am frustrated. I absolutely did not steal it." However, on June 4, during a press conference in Nagoya, he announced his decision not to appeal the ruling. He explained, "Even with the footage, the judge said it wasn't me, but I was still given a guilty verdict, which was sad. I felt there was no point in continuing this any further. I decided not to appeal and to let the guilty verdict stand." With this decision, the fine and the conviction against him were finalized.

6.1. Expert and Media Commentary

Following the guilty verdict, several experts and media outlets weighed in on the case. Lawyer Yoji Ochiai, in a blog post on May 29, 2015, asserted that the Incheon District Court's judgment was "reasonable." Similarly, lawyer Masaru Wakasa, speaking to the newspaper Yukan Fuji, stated that the "objective facts and the incomprehensibility of the defense's arguments were key points" in the court's decision. Both legal professionals ultimately viewed the Incheon District Court's ruling as appropriate.

Earlier, during the legal proceedings, swimmer Kosuke Kitajima had refrained from commenting directly on the theft allegations, stating only that Tomita was "a junior swimmer who is working hard, and I support him in many ways." A Chinese sports website, Netease Sports, pointed out a contradiction in Tomita's narrative, questioning why he would voluntarily take a bag containing the camera if he claimed he was framed. The Chinese media also suggested that releasing the camera footage publicly would clarify the facts to everyone's satisfaction.