 Yoshi Oyakawa at the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial near Kaimana Beach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Yoshinobu Oyakawa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | "Yoshi" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 9, 1933 Kona, Hawaii, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 154 lb (70 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Hawaii Swim Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Ohio State University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Yoshinobu Oyakawa ( Japanese: 親川 義信, [1] born August 9, 1933) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in the 100-meter backstroke. Oyakawa is considered to be the last of the great "straight-arm-pull" backstrokers and still holds the world record in this technique.[ citation needed]
Biography
Oyakawa was born in Kona, Hawaii to the Rev. and Mrs. Edward Oyakawa and raised in Papaikou. [2] He has an older sister, Dorothy, and an older brother, Ensie Michio. [2]
Career
College
Oyakawa attended Ohio State University, where he won six Big Ten, seven NCAA, and nine NAAU championships.
Olympics
Oyakawa represented the United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, where he won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke event. [3]
He returned to Olympic competition at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, where he was elected co-captain along with Ford Konno. [4] He finished 8th in the 100-meter backstroke competition. [5]
Coaching
Oyakawa became a teacher and coached swimming at Oak Hills High School from 1960 to 1985. [6] He led Oak Hills to 23 conference championships and was named League Coach of the Year 23 times and Southwest Ohio Swimming Coach of the Year 12 times. [7]
Honors
- Yoshinobu Oyakawa Day proclaimed by Big Island County Chairman James Kealoha on September 12, 1952 [8]
- International Swimming Hall of Fame, 1973 [9]
- Ohio High School Coach of the Year, 1972 [10]
- The Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame, 1978 [11]
- Hawaiʻi Sports Hall of Fame, 1998 [12]
- Oak Hills Athletic Hall of Fame, 2008 [7]
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Ohio State University people
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
References
- ^ https://tida-net.okinawa/parliament-activity/%E4%BB%A4%E5%92%8C2%E5%B9%B4%E7%AC%AC7%E5%9B%9E%E6%B2%96%E7%B8%84%E7%9C%8C%E8%AD%B0%E4%BC%9A%E5%AE%9A%E4%BE%8B%E4%BC%9A/
- ^ a b Luna, Martha (January 16, 1956). "Oyakawa Will Be Bidding for Olympic Win Again". Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
- ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Yoshi Oyakawa. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ "Oyakawa, Yoshinobu | Hawaiʻi Sports Hall of Fame". www.hawaiisportshalloffame.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Yoshi Oyakawa, 1973 ISHOF Honor Swimmer". U.S. Masters Swimming. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Hawaii Swimming Legacy: Yoshinobu Oyakawa". Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ a b "Oak Hills Athletic Hall of Fame Information, 2005-2015" (PDF). Retrieved February 18, 2018.
- ^ "Oyakawa Day Scheduled by Hiloites Today". The Honolulu Advertiser. September 12, 1952.
- ^ "Yoshi Oyakawa (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
- ^ "tBBC - Ten questions With Yoshi Oyakawa". BuckeyePlanet. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Gold-en Days of Summer Olympics past: Part 2". From Woody's Couch. August 2, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- ^ "Inductees by Class Year | Hawaiʻi Sports Hall of Fame". www.hawaiisportshalloffame.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
External links
- Yoshi Oyakawa at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- Yoshi Oyakawa (USA) – Honor Swimmer – International Swimming Hall of Fame at the Wayback Machine (archived February 3, 2018)
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- 1933 births
- Living people
- American male backstroke swimmers
- American military personnel of Japanese descent
- Hawaii people of Japanese descent
- Hawaii people of Okinawan descent
- American sportspeople of Japanese descent
- World record setters in swimming
- Ohio State Buckeyes men's swimmers
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming
- Swimmers from Cincinnati
- Swimmers from Hawaii
- Swimmers at the 1952 Summer Olympics
- Swimmers at the 1956 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics
- American swimming coaches
- American educators of Japanese descent
- 20th-century American people
- American swimming biography stubs