Nobutaka Taguchi

Nobutaka Taguchi

Personal information
Born	(1951-06-18) June 18, 1951
Medal record Men’s swimming Competitor for  Japan Olympic Games Gold 1972 Munich 100 m breaststroke Bronze 1972 Munich 200 m breaststroke World Championships (LC) Silver 1975 Cali 100 m breaststroke Bronze 1973 Belgrade 100 m breaststroke Bronze 1973 Belgrade 200 m breaststroke Asian Games Gold 1970 Bangkok 100 m breaststroke Gold 1970 Bangkok 200 m breaststroke Gold 1970 Bangkok 4x100 m medley Gold 1974 Tehran 100 m breaststroke Gold 1974 Tehran 200 m breaststroke Gold 1974 Tehran 4x100 m medley Universiade Silver 1970 Turin 100 m breaststroke Bronze 1970 Turin 200 m breaststroke

Nobutaka Taguchi (田口信教, Taguchi Nobutaka, born June 18, 1951 in Saijō, Ehime, Japan) is an Olympic gold medalist for Japan in swimming.

In 1972, he won Japan's first Olympic swimming gold medal since 1956. Japan dominated the 1932 and 1936 Olympics and won the breaststroke crown in 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1956 Olympic Games despite three radical rule changes that completely changed the stroke each time.

Taguchi did it single-handedly in 1972, beating three Americans in his Olympic victory. He was the only Nippon winner, as Americans dominated the 1971 Japanese Nationals the year before the Olympics, and he followed his Olympic triumph by again beating John Hencken, nicknamed "The Rocket", in the Santa Clara Invitational in 1973. His accomplishments are notable because he won during a five year era dominated by Hencken and David Wilkie, record breaking breaststrokers. He also earned the bronze medal behind "the Rocket" and the "Flying Scott" in the 200 metre breaststroke at Munich and in both breaststrokes in the 1975 World Championships at Cali. He ended his career at the Olympics in Montreal.

In 1987 he was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

External links

• Nobutaka Taguchi on ISHOF-website