Former artistic swimming star Mikako Kotani wants to protect women in sports from being exploited in sexualized images as a service both to her younger self and to the female athletes still being judged by the way they look on camera.
The 55-year-old, who led Tokyo Olympic organizers' push to promote gender equality, was too naive at the time to know she was a victim herself of such imagery, but today she envisions a society where women's strength can be appreciated for what it is.
"When I was in my teens, a photo of me in a white bathing suit with legs out of the water hit the cover of a magazine, and I was surprised that it sparked a public debate," Kotani said in a recent interview.