Japanese swimmer Naoya Tomita will not appeal a South Korean court ruling that found him guilty of stealing a camera at the Asian Games last September.
Tomita was found guilty by the district court in Incheon, South Korea, on May 28 for stealing the camera — belonging to a South Korean news agency — left poolside.
"There is no point in fighting this further," Tomita said at a press conference. "Even though the presiding judge said a person shown in the surveillance camera cannot be identified as me, I was found guilty."
The 26-year-old swimmer said an unknown man put the camera in his bag and he didn't realize what it was until he got back to the athletes' village.
But the judge said the person that Tomita claims put the camera in his bag cannot be spotted in surveillance footage at the venue and that his claim was difficult to believe.
Tomita, who was fined $900 by the South Korean court, said it will be hard to continue his career as it will be difficult to get sponsors.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.