Happy Birthday Krisztina Egerszegi!!
Krisztina Egerszegi (HUN)
Honor Swimmer (2001)
FOR THE RECORD: 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m backstroke), silver (100m backstroke); 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 400m IM); 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m backstroke), bronze (400m IM); TWO WORLD RECORDS: 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke; 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke); 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (200m backstroke); 1989 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (400m IM);1991 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 400m IM); 1993 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly, 400m IM); 1995 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m backstroke, 400m IM).
Only one other athlete had ever won an Olympic gold medal in each of three successive Olympic Games (Dawn Fraser of Australia in 1956, 1960, 1964, 100m freestyle) when Krisztina Egerszegi did it in the 200m backstroke in 1988, 1992 and 1996. Not only did she win the Olympic 200m backstroke an unprecedented three times, she also won gold medals in the 100m backstroke and 400m I.M. In addition, she started her string of victories as the youngest swimming Olympic gold medal winner of all time at the age of fourteen.
Krisztina’s international competition began at the top at the 1988 Seoul Olympics where she won the 200m backstroke gold in Olympic Record time of 2:09.29 over Katherin Zimmerman and Cornelia Sirch of the German Democratic Republic. She placed second in the 100m backstroke to Kristin Otto (GDR). For the next six years, she would lose the 200m backstroke race only once. This occurred at the 1989 European Championships in Bonn, when Dagmar Hase (GDR) and Otto out touched her in the 200m and 100m backstrokes respectively. It was the last year that the East German athletes were to swim under the banner of their country.
For the next three European Championships in Athens (1991), Sheffield (1993) and Vienna (1995), Krisztina won every race she entered which included the 100m and 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley. She became the master of the new, no-hand touch, the 1991 backstroke turn-rule change which eliminated the requirement of swimmers touching the wall with their hand on every turn. In 1991 at the European Championships, she broke Ina Kleber’s (GDR) 100m backstroke World Record which had been set 7 years earlier in 1984 and Betsy Mitchell’s (USA) 200m backstroke World Record set in 1986. Her 200m backstroke World Record of 2:06.62 set in Athens in 1991 still stands today, 10 years later.
Krisztina became the “Queen” of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when she was the only female athlete to win three individual events – 100m and 200m backstroke and 400m I.M.. She was only the third swimmer in history behind Debbie Meyer (USA)(1968) and Janet Evans (USA)(1988) to win three individual events at one Olympic Games. Her 200m backstroke time remains an Olympic Record today. Four years later in 1996, at 22 years of age, she returned for another Olympics in Atlanta winning the gold for the third time in the 200m backstroke and a bronze in the 400m individual medley.
Her national team coach, Tamas Szechy, says she was a hard worker. She was Swimming World’s World Female Swimmer of the Year (1991) and European Female Swimmer of the Year (1990, 1991, 1992).
Krisztina never liked to predict her future, but through her competitiveness, tenacity, love for her sport and five Olympic gold medals later, she made her own place in it.
Happy Birthday Brendan Hansen!!
Brendan Hansen (USA)
Honor Swimmer (2021)
FOR THE RECORD: 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100m medley), silver (100m breaststroke), bronze (200m breaststroke); 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100m medley), 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100m medley), bronze (100m breaststroke); 2001 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (200m breaststroke); 2003 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (4×100m medley), silver (100m breaststroke), bronze (200m breaststroke); 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 4×100 m medley); 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (100m breaststroke), silver (50m breaststroke); 2004 World Championships (SC): 4 gold (50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 4×100m medley)
How many athletes can boast that they were unbeaten in their individual events throughout all four years of college? The Texas Longhorn breaststroker named Brendan Hansen, from Havertown, Pennsylvania, can claim this feat. Hansen entered the University of Texas at Austin, in 2000 to swim for ISHOF Honor Coach, Eddie Reese. By the time he graduated in 2004, he had never lost a breaststroke event during his entire NCAA collegiate career. He was a 16-time All-American and won 13 NCAA Championships, eight individual NCAA titles and five relay crowns. Hansen became the only person in history to win every breaststroke event all four years at the NCAA Championships.
Brendan swam for several teams growing up in the Philadelphia area. His first coach was John McFadden at Foxcatcher Farms, who Brendan credits for his approach to practice and work ethic. Hansen had a unique style of breaststroke, which incorporated a kick that is typically much narrower than most of his competitors.
By the time he reached the University of Texas, Hansen was already a member of the USA National team. In 2000, Hansen just missed making the Olympic team twice in the both the 100 and 200m breaststroke, placing third in both events at Trials.
His first big international win was at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, where he took gold in the 200m breaststroke and set a championship record. Two years later at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, Hansen broke his first world record as part of the men’s 4 x 100 medley relay. In his individual events, he took silver in the 100, finishing just behind Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima along with taking a bronze in the 200. Then at the 2004 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Hansen was unstoppable. He won both the 100 and 200m breaststroke, breaking the world record in each event, and made his first Olympic team.
Hansen went into the Athens Olympics completely prepared, but recalls his races being “sloppy.” Sloppy or not, he won his first Olympic gold medal on the USA’s 400m medley relay. Prior to the relay he won a silver in the 100m breaststroke and a bronze in the 200 breast. Hansen recalls the sheer pride he got when he put on that USA Olympic uniform for the first time. Working so hard to get there and battling back from his third-place finishes in 2000, made it all worthwhile.
Just two months following the Athens games, Hansen was back on US soil and in Indianapolis for the Short Course World Championships. He walked away with four gold medals in the 50, 100 and 200-meter breaststroke and the 400-medley relay. He was part of the world record medley relay, joining Hall of Famers Aaron Peirsol, Ian Crocker and Jason Lezak.
As a member of the 2006 USA National Team, Hansen broke the world record three times in a span of just 26 days in the breaststroke events. His first came at the 2006 US National Championships, where he broke the world record in both the 100m breaststroke (59.13) and 200m breaststroke (2:08.74). Days later, he traveled to Victoria, British Columbia, to compete at the Pan Pacific Championships. There, Hansen beat his own world record again in the 200m breaststroke, in a time of 2:08.50.
By most accounts, 2008 would prove to be another successful Olympic Games for Hansen. He had been elected Captain of the USA team and was part of the gold medal winning relay which allowed Michael Phelps to walk away with his historic eighth gold medal. It was a different story in the 100-meter breaststroke, however, as he placed fourth in the event. At the completion of the Games, he decided he was done with swimming.
Hansen retired after the 2008 games but returned in 2011 and qualified for his third Olympics a year later. At the 2012 London Olympics, he won the bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke, after gaining the last spot in finals and swimming in lane 8. He fought “tooth and nail” as he puts it, to get into the finals of that 100m breaststroke event. To this day, Brendan says, “that is still my favorite medal I have ever won.” He finished up the meet and his career by winning his third Olympic gold medal in the 400m medley relay.
Hansen finished his career with a total of three gold, one silver and two Olympic bronze medals. He is a ten-time world champion, breaking 11 world records in his career.
Happy Birthday Gary Tobian!!
Gary Tobian (USA)
Honor Diver (1978)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1956 silver (platform); 1960 gold (springboard), silver (platform); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1959 gold (3m springboard); NATIONAL AAU Diving Titles: 8.
Gary Tobian, a successful Los Angeles business man, owned the tower as U.S. National Champion for six years, but won his international gold medals in both the Olympics and Pan American Games off the springboard. He was the last in a long line of U.S.C. National Collegiate and AAU diving champions medaling in two Olympics, 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome.
Happy Birthday Debbie Meyer!!
Debbie Meyer (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1977)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 gold (200m, 400m, 800m freestyle); WORLD RECORDS: 15; PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1967 (2 gold); NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 19; AMERICAN RECORDS: 27; “World Swimmer of the Year”: 1967, 1968, 1969; 1968 Sullivan Award winner.
Debbie was the first to win 3 individual golds at one Olympics (1968 Mexico). She won 2 Pan-American golds in 1967. She was the first woman to swim 1500m under 18 minutes and the first to take the 400m under 4:30, the 500 yd. under 5 minutes and the 1650 yd. under 17 minutes. She held 24 American Records. In 1967 she was chosen Tass News Agency’s “Woman Athlete of the Year”. Debbie Meyer , between the ages of 14 and 18, was the world’s greatest female swimmer. In 7 years prior to the 1968 Olympics (she began at the Camden Y and finished as belle cow of the Arden Hills Swim Club) she swam 30,000 miles in 7 years to set training standards no girl before her had achieved; and yet she remained a happy all-American girl in appearance as in performance setting standards. Just for comparison and a little argument in the battle of the sexes, Debbie’s 4:24.5 in the 400m would have beaten Murray Rose in the 1956 Olympics and her 17:19.9 in the 1500m would have been 39 seconds faster than his 1500m time.
Athletes who have made Olympic Swimming history for Japan
Today, 14 August, is Japanese Swimming Day, and with the 2023 Induction of Kusoke Kitajima, ISHOF looks back at the incredible achievements of Japanese Olympians in the pool.
Shared from Olympics.com
Swimming(Photo Credit: 2012 Getty Images)
Swimming has brought many Olympic medals to Japan – 80, in fact – the third-highest total for the nation behind artistic gymnastics (98) and judo (84) – and in terms of gold, swimming ranks fourth with 22.
TSURUTA Yoshiyuki was the first Japanese athlete to ever to win gold in consecutive Olympic Games (Amsterdam 1928 and Los Angeles 1932), while MAEHATA Hideko was the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic gold medal (Berlin 1936).
But how much do you know of these other facts?
Breaststroke is Japan’s strongest event – earning the country 12 gold medals
Twelve of Japan’s 22 gold medals have come from breaststroke. With six gold in the men’s 200m event as well as three each in both the men’s 100m and the women’s 200m, it is without a doubt, Japan’s speciality.
Both Tsuruta and Maehata won their gold medals in the 200m breaststroke. Among the many accomplishments of Japan’s swimmers, KITAJIMA Kosuke’s feat of winning back-to-back golds at consecutive Olympic Games in the men’s 100m and 200m, is undoubtedly a historic milestone for Japan.
Kosuke Kitajima Photo Credit: Getty Images
Another unforgettable achievement was by IWASAKI Kyoko.
Appearing at the Barcelona 1992 Games at the age of 14, Iwasaki put on an incredible burst of speed in the final stages of the women’s 200m breaststroke and made history by becoming the youngest ever swimmer to claim gold. The event remains one of the greatest moments in Japan’s Olympic history.
Japan continues to fare well in the breaststroke as evidenced by KANETO Rie gracing the podium in the women’s 200m event at Rio 2016. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, hopes are high that former 200m breaststroke world record holder, WATANABE Ippei, will be among those battling for gold.
Rie Kaneto Photo Credit: Getty Images
The scintillating rise of Hagino and Seto
While Japan has exhibited stability and strength in the breaststroke in the past decade, their swimmers have also begun to achieve remarkable results in the individual medley events.
At the London 2012 Games, HAGINO Kosuke – a 17-year-old high school student at the time – edged out Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, in the 400m individual medley to snatch the bronze medal. It was the first time a Japanese male swimmer had ever achieved such a feat and eventually established Hagino as a multi-event swimmer. At Rio 2016, he won three medals a gold in the 400m individual medley, silver in the 200m individual medley, and bronze in the men’s 4x200m team medley relay.
Photo Credit: GettyImages-586858958
Meanwhile, Hagino’s long-time friend and rival, SETO Daiya has also made good progress. At Rio 2016, he earned a bronze medal in the 400m individual medley. At the World Swimming Championships in 2019, he claimed gold in both the 200m and 400m individual medleys, which earned him a spot in the same events on Japan’s swimming team for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
With two more titles – in the 400m individual medleys from the same championships in 2013 and 2015 – there is no denying his competitiveness at international events.
Turning our eyes to the women’s category, OHASHI Yui continues to raise hopes. Since TAJIMA Yasuko won silver in the 400m individual medley at the Sydney 2000 Games, Japan has not seen a medal of any colour in this event. Having claimed silver and bronze in the World Swimming Championships in 2017 and 2019, respectively, Ohashi appears to be ready to stake her claim for a podium place at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Japan’s medals in backstroke and butterfly
A swimming style that has brought two gold medals to Japan in the past is backstroke. Both are from the men’s 100m events; one by KIYOKAWA Masaji at Los Angeles 1932 and the other by SUZUKI Daichi at Seoul 1988.
Suzuki had developed the dolphin kick, first used by American Jesse Vassallo, to the point where he was able to proceed roughly 25m underwater, and this kick later became synonymous with backstroke.
Ryosuke Irie
In the men’s category, IRIE Ryosuke, who won bronze in the 100m backstroke and silver in the 200m backstroke at London 2012, still reigns supreme to this day. The backstroke specialist, who will turn 31 in 2021, is striving to make the Tokyo 2020 Games the climax of his career.
For the women’s events both NAKAMURA Reiko and TERAKAWA Aya among others have earned medals at four consecutive Games from Sydney 2000 to London 2012, raising Japan’s international presence in the event.
In the butterfly, Japan has seen only one gold medal – won by AOKI Mayumi in the women’s 100m event at Munich 1972. However, Japanese swimmers have had podium finishes at all editions of the Games since Athens 2004.
In the men’s category, YAMAMOTO Takashi and MATSUDA Takeshi won silver and bronze in the 200m events.
At the Rio 2016 Games, SAKAI Masato won silver in the same event, nearly denying Michael Phelps victory by just 0.04 seconds. Seto, whose main focus is the individual medley, also thrives at butterfly events, and is eyeing a medal at Tokyo 2020.
In the women’s events, HOSHI Natsumi, who won bronze medals at both London 2012 and Rio 2016, has been Japan’s main hope in this event for the past few years.
Masato Sakai Photo Credit: Getty Images
Japan has long struggled in the freestyle
It could be said that the freestyle is not Japan’s strong point in recent years.
Although SHIBATA Ai won gold in the women’s 800m freestyle event at Athens 2004, majority of Japan’s medals in this stroke were won prior to 1960 – however, at Rio 2016, Japan emerged with a bronze medal in the men’s 4x200m relay for the first time since Tokyo 1964.
In addition, several freestylers who have recently proved themselves a match for overseas swimmers have begun to come to the fore. Among these is MATSUMOTO Katsuhiro, who won silver in the men’s 200m freestyle at the 2019 World Championships.
Ai Shibata Photo Credit: Gettty Images
Golden hopes in the relay
Japan has produced results not only in individual events but also in relays.
At London 2012, Japan’s team had three individual medallists: IRIE Ryosuke, KITAJIMA Kosuke and MATSUDA Takeshi, who managed to win silver in the men’s 4x100m medley relay.
The women’s team also won bronze in the same event. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, the 4x100m mixed medley relay, in which a team of four consisting of two men and two women competes, will take place as a new event.
Hopes are high in Japan that the host nation will fare well and dominate the event.
Photo Credit: GettyImages-149813297
Happy Birthday Jan Henne!!
Jan Henne (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1979)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 gold (100m freestyle; 400m freestyle relay), silver (200m freestyle), bronze (200m individual medley); U.S. NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 9; NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 AMERICAN RECORDS: 8.
In July, 1968, Jan Henne and her coach, George Haines, decided she was to become a freestyler and 3 months later she medaled in 4 events at the Mexico City Olympics. Primarily a breaststroker and water polo player, Henne was an AAU All-American in 1965, 1966, and 1967 with American Records in the 100, 100 and 250 yard breaststroke. A breaststroke finalist in the Nationals starting in 1963 and in the 1964 Olympic Trials, Jan shifted to Santa Clara in the fall of 1967 and was a sensation in the 1968 Indoor Nationals with 4 gold medals in the 100 yard breaststroke and the 3 American Record relays, plus third in the 200 yard breaststroke and 200 yard individual medley. She won 4 events for Arizona State in the 1970 National Collegiates. Her coaches were John Williams at Palo Alto, George Haines at Santa Clara, and Mona Plummer at Arizona State.
Happy Birthday Anita Lonsbrough!!
Anita Lonsbrough (GBR)
Honor Swimmer (1983)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1960 gold (200m breaststroke); 1964 British Tokyo Olympic team (individual medley; relay); WORLD RECORDS: 6 (100m, 200m breaststroke; medley relay); COMMONWEALTH GAMES: 1958 gold (220yd breaststroke; medley relay); 1962 gold (110yd, 220yd breaststroke; 440yd individual medley), silver (medley relay); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP: 1962 gold (200m breaststroke), silver 9400m individual medley), bronze (medley relay); ASA BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS: 8 (1958-1962: 220yd breaststroke; 1963: 220yd freestyle; 1963-1964: 440yd individual medley).
Anita Lonsbrough dominated British swimming over a 7-year period (1958-64) during which she won 7 gold medals, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in the three major International Games available to her. She set World Records in the Olympics, British Commonwealth, European and her A.S.A. National Championships. Her titles were in breaststroke, individual medley and freestyle. A definite “P.M.’r” she had to get up at 4:00 a.m. in order to be ready for preliminaries at 10:00 a.m.. In 1960, after beating the World Record holder Wiltrud Urselmann for the breaststroke Olympic gold in a new World Record, Anita was named the Daily Express (British) “Sportswoman of the Year”, and British Sportswriters’ “Sports Woman of the Year”, honors which she repeated in 1962 after her 3 gold Commonwealth Games. She was the first woman to receive the B.B.C.-TV “Sports Personality of the Year”, and the following year, won the distinguished M.B.E. for services to swimming. In Tokyo 1964, she was the first woman to carry the Union Jack in the Opening Ceremonies Olympic parade. In 1965, she married Hugh Porter, an Olympic cyclist, who went on to win the World’s Professional 5,000m pursuit, (the only man to win this title four time).
Happy Birthday Jesse Vassallo!!
Jesse Vassallo (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1997)
FOR THE RECORD: 1980 US OLYMPIC TEAM: Boycott; 1984 US OLYMPIC TEAM: 4th (400m IM); WORLD RECORDS (3): 200m IM, 400m IM; 1978 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m backstroke, 400m IM): silver (200m IM); 1979 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (200m IM, 400m IM), silver (200m backstroke); US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES (17): 7 short course (200yd backstroke, 200yd, 400yd IM, 400yd medley relay), 10 long course (200m backstroke, 200m 400m IM); NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE: (400yd IM); 1978 WORLD SWIMMER OF THE YEAR.
He began his swimming career at Club Deportivo de Ponce and became the most successful swimmer ever from the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico. Given the name Jesus David, dubbed Cheyenne by his mother, Daise, but known throughout the world as Jesse, this young swimmer, at an early age, became the hero to many a younger competitor. During his six year international career, Jesse Vassallo set three world records in the individual medley, lasting a combined five years.
Because his father wanted better and faster training for Jesse and Jesse’s four brothers, and also to improve upon their English, the family moved from Ponce, Puerto Rico, to Miami, where, at age 11, in 1974, Jesse began swimming with the Hurricane Swim Club. Soon he won his first national record at age 13 in the 200m backstroke. At that point, his father, a successful businessman and professional basketball player, knew his son had what it took to be a champion. That year became a pivotal year for Jesse and the family as they moved to California to train under the famed Mission Viejo coach, Mark Schubert.
Under Schubert’s cautious guidance, Jesse improved enough to compete in his first National Championship meet (1976) and win his first National Championship race (1977) at Kelly Pool in Philadelphia.
In 1978, as a 17 year old “Gold Fish,” Jesse got gold fever at the Berlin World Championships, winning both the 200m and the 400m individual medleys and setting a world record in the 400m individual medley, a record he broke once more and held for four years; all while he was still in high school.
In 1979, Vassallo claimed five more US National Championships and prepared for his first swim in his native Puerto Rico since his family had left seven years previously. “I was a little nervous about swimming at the Pan American Games in Puerto Rico, a little unsure how the people would like me having gone to the United States to train. But they were great. Once I got there, I knew I wanted to swim super fast for the people and for my family,” Vassallo said. And super fast he swam, winning the 200m IM in world record time (2:03.29) and the 400m IM, and taking the silver in the 200m backstroke. Friends and relatives, all sporting yellow “Vassallo” t-shirts led the crowd in “Viva Vassallo” cheers.
Jesse Vassallo was the Kid of the IM; world record holder in both the 200m and 400m IM, World Championship gold medalist in the 400m IM, and Pan American Games gold medalist in both the 200m and 400m IM. Swimming World magazine selected him as World Swimmer of the Year and the European press chose him as one of the world’s top ten athletes, among major sports stars as Mohammed Ali, Bjorn Borg and Mario Andretti.
But hardships fell upon Jesse. He was riding high to compete at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Like many other athletes, his dreams were shattered with the Olympic boycott. His father was struck by a car on the road and never recovered, and during his illustrious career as a student athlete at the University of Miami swimming under Coach Bill Diaz, Jesse seriously damaged his left knee ligaments, requiring surgery and almost two years of recovery, keeping him out of the 1982 Guayaquil World Championships. “You don’t know what you’ve got until you don’t have it anymore. Now I want it back,” said Jesse.
Propelled by his passion for sports he inherited from his father, and the relentless spirit of a true champion, his comeback in 1984 included another national title in the 200m backstroke and another spot on the US Olympic Team where he managed a fourth place in the 400m IM race at Los Angeles.
The recovery time before the Olympics was not quite long enough to fully heal and prepare for international competition.
After 14 years, following the 1984 Games, he announced his retirement from competitive swimming. Since then, he has conducted swimming clinics in the US, Puerto Rico and Central and South America and currently coaches the swim team in his hometown. He and his brothers have established a successful manufacturing operation. Jesse lives with his wife Bethsabee and their three children Jess, Victor and Alejandro, in Puerto Rico.
Happy Birthday YOSHI OYAKAWA !!!
YOSHI OYAKAWA (USA)
1973 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1952 gold (100m backstroke); NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: 7 gold; NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 9 gold; BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 6; WORLD RECORDS: (100yd, 100m backstroke).
Hawaiian Yoshi Oyakawa won 23 major titles in his remarkable career as the last of the great straight-armed backstrokers. He won the 1952 Olympic backstroke crown at Helsinki in 1:05.4 finally breaking Adolph Kiefer’s Olympic record of 1:05.9 set in 1936. Oyakawa won 6 Big Ten, 7 NCAA and 9 NAAU gold medals during his distinguished career under coaches Sparky Kawamoto, Hilo, Hawaii, and Mike Peppe (Ohio State).
Oyakawa started competitive swimming late (15), turned over on his back at 16, and was on his way to the Olympics at 18. Yoshi went to his second Olympics (1956 Melbourne) as an Air Force Second Lieutenant, finishing 8th after breaking his 1952 Olympic record in the prelims. Neither time was as good as his 1:04.7 to win the U.S. Olympic trials in Detroit.
After 2 years active duty this great backstroker and his Ohio State Sweetheart Mariko Yamane settled in Cincinnati where they have raised four daughters and a son and enough good swimmers at Oak Hills High School for Yoshi Oyakawa to be named Ohio High School Coach of the year for 1972.
Others have bettered Oyakawa’s 100 yd. and 100m world records but none since Oyakawa have done it going straight. The newer bent arm techniques have left his records intact, as the fastest ever straight-armed backstroker.
Oyakawa marked the ending of at least one other era, the domination of world swimming by the Hawaiian Islands. Their last Olympic champions were Oyakawa and Ford Konno in 1952. Not since the six Hawaiians (including Oyakawa) swam in the 1956 Games, has one of the islanders made a U.S. Olympic team.
Yoshi Oyakawa (USA)
2017 Honor Masters Swimmer
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS (SWIMMER): World Points-634, Pre 1986 Points- 11, Total Points-645; Since 1974, he has competed in 9 age groups (40-44 through 80-84). 27 FINA MASTERS WORLD RECORDS.
Yoshinobu Oyakawa, born on the Kona side of the big island of Hawai’i, was a swimming stand-out at Hilo High School. He continued his career of swimming though his college years at the Ohio State University under the great Hall of Fame Coach, Mike Peppe. While Oyakawa was attending Ohio State, he made his first Olympic team at the age of 19. He represented the United States of America, when he travelled to Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Yoshi did not disappoint. He won the gold medal in the 100m backstroke.
In 1956, Oyakawa again made the Olympic team, where, along with Ford Konno, he was elected co-captain of the US team. At that time, he was also a 2nd Lt. in the United States Air Force.
Yoshi is considered to be the last of the great “straight-arm-pull” backstrokers, and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in 1973. Now, 44 years later, Yoshi is again being recognized by ISHOF, but this time, for his career in Masters swimming.
Swimming has always been a big part of Oyakawa’s life. Growing up in Hawaii, Yoshi says, the ocean, the rivers and the pool at the Naval Air Station made swimming an everyday occurrence for him. So, when Ransom Arthur started Masters Swimming in the 1970’s, Yoshi says he was first in line!
Even though Oyakawa started swimming Masters in the early 1970’s, he didn’t seriously pursue it until 1985. He has been in the Top Ten for a total of 28 times. He has set a total of 27 FINA Masters world records, 13 long course and 14 short course meters, all of them in the backstroke. He has competed in three FINA Masters World Championships, winning eight gold, two silver and one bronze medal in the backstroke and freestyle events.
Yoshi says that Buster Crabbe once told him many years ago that swimming was the BEST SPORT and the people involved became your BEST FRIENDS! HOW TRUE, Yoshi says!!
Did you see Katie Ledecky visit Kaitlin Collins on CNN last night? She was great!!!!
https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=324440093274005
Katie Ledecky was on CNN last night, Monday, August 7, 2023, visiting and chatting with Kaitlin Collins. Katie is so poised, gracious and well spoken, and such a great representative of USA Swimming and our young athletes. We should all be so proud of her.
If you missed the interview we have posted it here; so enjoy, and watch what an amazing well-adjusted young woman of 26 looks and sounds like!
We have much to be proud of! Go Katie!!!!