Takayoshi Yoshioka

Born as the son of a priest Takayoshi Yoshioka was adopted by the Yoshioka family in Hikawa. In his first year at the Shimane Normal School his talent was discovered by Olympian Sasago Tani. While Yoshioka attended the Tokyo Higher Normal School, in 1930 he was the first Japanese player to win the 100 metres at the Far Eastern Games. Later that year he set a national record with 10.7 in a competition in Keijo (now Seoul). Within one year, the record was bettered, first by Chuhei Nanbu and again by Yoshioka to 10.5.

At the 1932 Olympics, Yoshioka reached the final in the 100 metres, the last Japanese to do so in a sprint event until 1992. A particularly fast starter, he was nicknamed “Dawn super express” as compared to winner Eddie Tolan’s “Midnight super express”. In 1933, Yoshioka improved the Japanese record to 10.4 and in June 1935 he even tied the world record of 10.3. Although he was considered one of the favorites, Yoshioka was eliminated in round two, after which he fell into a deep depression but managed to return to the track. In 1938-40 he took three more 100 metre national titles in 1931, 1932, and 1935, also winning 4x100 relay titles in 1931 and 1938.

In 1941, Yoshioka was appointed professor at the Hiroshima Higher Normal School, where he was about 10 km from the epicentre of the atomic bomb blast, but he survived. After World War II, he worked for the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education, organized the 1950 National Athletic Meet, and acted as the first coach of the Hiroshima Carp. He returned to the track scene, coaching the athletic team of the Riccar sewing machine company with a number of Olympians. After the Tokyo Olympic Games, he became a professor at the Tokyo Women’s College of Physical Education in 1970. At the age of 70, he still recorded a time of 15 sec competing at Masters athletic meetings. Shortly after he was hospitalized in 1983 after tearing his Achilles’ tendon, stomach cancer was discovered from which he eventually died at the Tokyo Fuchu Hospital. In his home prefecture, athletic meets are still held bearing his name.

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.3 (1935); 200 – 21.2s (1933).