, nee , is a Japanese

gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

. She competed in seven events at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

, and wrote an article entitled ''Deep Emotions from the

Hinomaru The national flag of Japan is a rectangular white banner bearing a crimson-red circle at its center. This flag is officially called the , but is more commonly known in Japan as the . It embodies the country's sobriquet: the Land of the Rising S ...

,'' describing her thoughts on Japanese identity represented by the waving of Japanese flags at the Olympics just a few short years after the end of the Second World War. Shintani was due to participate in the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

in Rome for the Japanese contingent, but was prevented from doing so by a herniated disc that caused paralysis in her right leg. Instead, she went on to study in the United States, graduating with a master's degree from

Northwestern State University Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the Univer ...

. In 1962, Shintani worked as an assistant to gymnast Joanne Giannini (nee Pasquale). In 1970, she published a book entitled ''the Basics of Women's Gymnastics'' (女子体操競技の基礎).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seki, Suzuko 1936 births Living people Japanese female artistic gymnasts Olympic gymnasts of Japan Gymnasts at the 1956 Summer Olympics Place of birth missing (living people) 20th-century Japanese women