is a retired Japanese breaststroke swimmer. He competed in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke and 4 × 100 m medley relay at the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympics and won two medals in 1972, a gold in the 100 m and a bronze in the 200 m events. His breaststroke gold medal was the first for Japan since 1956. He won during the five-year era dominated by

John Hencken John Frederick Hencken (born May 29, 1954) is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Hencken won five Olympic medals during his career, including three golds. Olympic career At the ...

and David Wilkie. He also earned the

bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receiv ...

in the 200 m breaststroke at the 1972 Olympics and in both breaststrokes at the 1975 World Championships. He ended his career after the 1976 Olympics.

Later life

In 1987 he was inducted into the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

. He became a lecturer at the

National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya is a national university in Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan, founded in 1981. Four alumni participated in the swimming and volleyball events in the Beijing Olympics, including Athens Olympics swimming gold medalist Ai Shibata. Four players partici ...

in 1984, and a professor of physical education in 1993. He became

professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

in 2017.

References

1951 births Living people Olympic gold medalists for Japan Olympic bronze medalists for Japan Olympic swimmers of Japan Swimmers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1972 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1976 Summer Olympics People from Saijō, Ehime Sportspeople from Ehime Prefecture World record setters in swimming Olympic bronze medalists in swimming World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Asian Games medalists in swimming Swimmers at the 1970 Asian Games Swimmers at the 1974 Asian Games Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics Asian Games gold medalists for Japan Japanese male breaststroke swimmers Olympic gold medalists in swimming Medalists at the 1970 Asian Games Medalists at the 1974 Asian Games Universiade medalists in swimming Universiade silver medalists for Japan Universiade bronze medalists for Japan National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya faculty Medalists at the 1970 Summer Universiade 20th-century Japanese people {{Japan-swimming-bio-stub

Later life

See also

References