Yoshi Oyakawa

In winning the 100m backstroke at the Helsinki Games, Oyakawa beat Adolph Kiefer’s Olympic record which had stood since 1936. Oyakawa could not repeat his Helsinki form at the 1956 Olympics and finished in last place in the Melbourne final. Oyakawa won six AAU titles, including the backstroke double in 1953 and 1955, and scored a double for Ohio State at the NCAAs of 1953, 1954, and 1955. He set world records at 100y and 100m for the straight-arm backstroke style. Oyakawa later settled in Cincinnati, became a swim coach, and, in 1972, was named Ohio High School Coach of the Year