Yoshinori Sakai (坂井 義則 Sakai Yoshinori, born Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 - the day of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima) was the Olympic flame torchbearer who lit the cauldron at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
He was chosen for the role to symbolize Japan's postwar reconstruction and peace. At the time he was a member of Waseda University's running club.
The nineteen year old was coached in the ceremonial duty by Teruji Kogake, a triple jump world record-holder turned coach.[1]
After the Olympic games, he won a gold medal in 1600 m relay and a silver in 400 m at 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok. He joined Fuji Television in 1968 as a journalist and worked mainly in the fields of news and sports.[2] He has never competed in the Olympics.
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Giancarlo Peris |
Final Summer Olympic Torchbearer Tokyo 1964 |
Succeeded by Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo |