Katsuo Takaishi

Katsuo Takaishi
Personal information
Full name 高石 勝男
Nationality Japan
Born October 14, 1906
Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Died April 13, 1966 (aged 59)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes freestyle

Katsuo Takaishi (高石 勝男 Takaishi Katsuo, October 14, 1906 – April 13, 1966) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics and the 1928 Summer Olympics.

Takaishi was born in Osaka and was a graduate of Waseda University. During the 1923 Far Eastern Games held in Osaka, he won first place in all three freestyle swimming events, which secured him a place on the Japanese Olympic team.

During the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Takaishi placed fourth in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay event and fifth in the 100-meter freestyle event and in the 1500-meter freestyle event. Although he did not win a medal, it was the first time that a swimmer from Asia had placed in an Olympic swimming competition.

From 1924 to 1928, Takaishi won every international competition he attended, except when faced with competition from the American champion, Johnny Weissmuller.

At the 1928 Summer Olympics, as captain of the Japanese swimming team, Takaishi won a silver medal in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay event and a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle event. He was also fourth in the semifinal of 400-meter freestyle event and did not start in the semifinal of 1500-meter freestyle event and did not advance on either occasion.

Takaishi served as team captain and coach for the Japanese team for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which won all events save one. After his return to Japan, he wrote a book, Swimming in Japan, which was published in 1935. He served as general director of the Japanese national swimming team for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and was chairman of the Amateur Swimming Federation of Japan. Katsuo Takaishi died of lung cancer at the age of 59. He was posthumously honored with induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1991.

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