Fifty-six-year-old Hashimoto was named president of the Tokyo Olympic organising committee after a meeting of its executive board, which is 80 per cent male. She replaces 83-year-old Mori, who is a former Japanese prime minister.<\/p>\n
Hashimoto's arrival isn't without controversy following a large outcry in Japan and around the world after Mori made claims that women speak too much during an online meeting of the committee's board of trustees.<\/p>\n
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Fresh off her semi-final win over Serena Williams at the Australian Open today,<\/a> Osaka was asked about the change in power.<\/p>\n She said today's unveiling was an example of what women have "had to fight for" in the battle against gender bias.<\/p>\n "I think for me, what it means is that there's a lot of things I think people used to accept; the things that used to be said, but you're seeing the newer generation not tolerate a lot of things," she said.<\/p>\n "I feel like it's really good because you're pushing forward, barriers are being broken down, especially for females.<\/p>\n "We've had to fight for so many things just to be equal. Even a lot of things we still aren't equal. Yeah, I thought that was a good thing."<\/p>\n Mori, before stepping down, tried to offer the job last week to 84-year-old Saburo Kawabuchi, a former head of the country's football federation. But reports of the behind-closed-door deal were widely criticised on social media, Japanese talk shows, and in newspaper reports.<\/p>\n Kawabuchi quickly withdrew from further consideration.<\/p>\n Hashimoto is not without her critics. A Japanese magazine in 2014 ran photographs of her embracing figure skater Daisuke Takahashi at a party during the Sochi Olympics, suggesting it was sexual harassment. She later apologized, and Takahashi said he did not feel harassed.<\/p>\n – with AP<\/p>\n For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em> clicking here!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n