World reacts with shock to Olympic athlete slapped on live TV
Judo fans were left in shock when German athlete Martyna Trajdos was shaken and slapped in the face by her coach before an Olympic bout in Tokyo.
The live broadcast showed the bizarre moment ahead of Trajdos' elimination round of 32 fight with Hungary's Szofi Ozbas on Tuesday afternoon.
The German ultimately lost the fight, with Ozbas emerging triumphant by Waza-Ari.
However, the footage of Trajdos and her coach inevitably caught the attention of viewers, with many voicing their concern for her well-being.
But Trajdos defended the pre-fight ritual on Instagram: "Don't worry guys! That's the ritual which I chose before fights. My coach is just doing what I want him to do to fire me up!
"I wish I could have made a different headline today.
"As I already said that’s the ritual which I chose pre competition! My coach is just doing what I want him to do to fire me up!"