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Olympic Winners Get Plush Panda then Medal

Miho Takagi of Japan waves during a ceremony after winning the silver medal in the women's speedskating 1,500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP)
Miho Takagi of Japan waves during a ceremony after winning the silver medal in the women's speedskating 1,500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP)
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Olympic Winners Get Plush Panda then Medal

Miho Takagi of Japan waves during a ceremony after winning the silver medal in the women's speedskating 1,500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP)
Miho Takagi of Japan waves during a ceremony after winning the silver medal in the women's speedskating 1,500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP)

When most champions get off the slopes or the ice at the Beijing Olympics, they are handed Bing Dwen Dwen, the chubby panda mascot of the Games.

Where are the medals? They usually come later at a special ceremony — a system introduced in 1988 at the Calgary Games.

But immediately after competition, the winning athletes in Beijing receive a plush toy panda, stuffed inside a plastic shell that is meant to represent ice. Bing, in fact, means ice in Chinese. The toy is also adorned with a golden wreath.

Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris won his third Olympic bronze medal on Monday and said he loved the prize that came with it.

“I always claimed back in the day that my spirit animal is a panda. I love pandas,” he said.

A similar ritual unfolded at the Pyeongchang Games four years ago. There, immediately after winning gold, silver or bronze, medalists got Soohorang, a striped white tiger that served as the mascot for those Games.

The tradition of giving a mascot to the winners has existed for more than a decade at the Youth Olympics.

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Japan’s Chief Meteorologist Calls Rumors of a July Earthquake a Hoax, Urges People Not to Worry

People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
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Japan’s Chief Meteorologist Calls Rumors of a July Earthquake a Hoax, Urges People Not to Worry

People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)

The head of Japan's meteorological agency on Friday dismissed widespread rumors of a major earthquake in Japan this summer as unscientific and a “hoax," urging people not to worry because even the most advanced science still cannot predict any quake or tsunami.

“At the moment, it is still impossible to predict an earthquake with specific timing, location or its magnitude,” Japan Meteorological Agency Director General Ryoichi Nomura told reporters. “Any such prediction is a hoax, and there is absolutely no need to worry about such disinformation."

Nomura was referring to rumors in Hong Kong and other Asian cities of a major earthquake or a tsunami in July in Japan have led to flight cancellations and reductions in service, affecting tourism.

He said it was “unfortunate” that many people are affected by the disinformation, though he sympathized with the sense of unease that the people tend to develop toward something invisible.

The rumor originates from a 2022 Japanese comic book “The future I saw,” which features a dream foreseeing a tsunami and is also available in Chinese. The chatter began spreading earlier this year through social media, mainly in Hong Kong.

The author previously gained attention for allegedly predicting the 2011 quake and tsunami in northern Japan, which killed more than 18,000 people.

Japan, which sits on the Pacific “ring of fire,” is one of the world's most quake-prone countries.

Last summer, a panel of seismologists noted a slight increase in the probability of a megaquake on Japan’s Pacific coasts. The government organized an awareness-raising week but only triggered panic buying, beach closures and other overreactions and complaints.

While it is important to inform people about the science, Nomura said, it is also necessary for everyone in this quake-prone country to take early precautions.

“In Japan, an earthquake can occur anytime, anywhere,” Nomura said. “So I ask everyone to take this opportunity to ensure your preparedness for a major quake.”