Takahiro Saito

Takahiro Saito was a backstroke swimmer who competed at the 1924 Paris Olympics while still a student at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, from which he graduated in 1927. In 1925 he won the first ever Japanese Championship in the 100 m freestyle. Saito was the brother of Kenkichi Saito who swam at the 1920 Antwerpen Olympics. After graduation Takahiro joined the Mainichi Shimbun and taught at the Hamadera Swimming School.

In 1934 Saito moved to Brazil to coach Brazilian naval students and officials. His coaching achievements were lauded by one newspaper report that noted, “Swimming in Brazil was discovered by Japanese swimmer Saito.” But in 1935 Saito was called back to Japan by the Japanese Swimming Federation to coach their national team.

He worked with the Japanese team through the Berlin Olympics, where they were very successful, and then into the early 1940s. In August 1944 Saito was ordered to serve in the Army in the Battle of Daito A, and was sent to Manila where he died suddenly on 5 September 1944 at only 42-years-old.