Tetsuo Okamoto

Tetsuo Okamoto
Personal information
Full name Tetsuo Okamoto
Nationality  Brazil
Born 20 March 1932
Marília, São Paulo, Brazil
Died 1 October 2007 (aged 75)
Marília, São Paulo, Brazil
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle

Tetsuo Okamoto (March 20, 1932 – October 1, 2007) was a Brazilian swimmer.[1]

Okamoto had asthma, and began to swim to treat it, at 7 years old. Only with 15 years old, when Fausto Alonso showed up, ready to mount a serious team in Yara Clube de Marília, is that Tetsuo began to train into a decent pool, under the guidance of someone with some knowledge of swimming. At that time, his training was only 2000 meters daily. In early 1949, Tetsuo had climbed several positions in the Brazilian national ranking, being cast in the South American Championship in Montevideo, his first international competition. There, he swam the three long distance races, managed to enter the finals of the 400-metre and 1500-metre freestyle, but went away from the podium. But his progress was only beginning, and, at the turn of the decade, happen the watershed event of his swimmer career.[2]

In 1949, a Japanese team made a tour in Brazil, and passed in Marília. With excellent results, including victories over the Americans, they were known as "flying fish." Okamoto was fascinated with those swimmers and received a recommendation: "if you want to have good results, would have to train a lot more: 10,000 meters daily". Thus, the preparation of Okamoto suffered a drastic transformation. At a time when the pool was unheated and he did not have goggles, Okamoto faced the cold and came out with eyes stinging with the chlorine, but carries out routine.[3]

At the Brazilian Championship in 1950, he became champion for the first time, and its popularity and recognition began to grow. In January 1951, he became the South American record holder for the first time. He swam the 1500-metre freestyle in 19:24.3, lowering 40 seconds the Brazilian record and 13 seconds the South American record.[4]

At the inaugural Pan American Games in 1951, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he claimed two gold medals in the 400-metre and 1500-metre freestyle, and one silver medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle.[5] In the 1500-metre freestyle, broke again his South American record.[6]

When he returned from Buenos Aires to Brazil, Okamoto received a big party in his hometown, Marília. There was a procession of open car, and awards to the new Brazilian hero. At the same time, however, thieves robbed his house, taking several belongings.[7]

Three weeks after the Pan, he broke the South American record of 400-metre freestyle, scoring 4:41.5. The South American record of this race had never been in the hands of a Brazilian.[8]

At the South American Championship in Lima, Peru, in March 1952, Tetsuo won the gold medal in the 400-metre, 800-metre and 1500-metre freestyle.[9]

He was a bronze medalist at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki (1500-metre freestyle), the first Brazilian swimmer to win a medal at the Olympics.[10] At this race, Tetsuo won his heats series with a time of 19:05.6, new South American record. At the final, he won the bronze medal with new South American record of 18:51.3. This record would last ten years.[11]

After leaving the swimming, Okamoto came to the United States, where he studied geology and business administration. Then, started a company drilling of artesian wells.[12]

He died in his city of birth, Marília, in which he always lived, on October 1, 2007, due to heart and respiratory failure, caused by a long-standing kidney problems which forced him to have frequent hemodialysis in the last years of his life.[13][14][15][16]

References

  1. ↑ "Profile at Sports Reference". Sports Reference. 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  2. ↑ "The unforgettable Tetsuo - Part I". Best Swimming (in Portuguese). March 28, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Dies at age 75, pioneer of swimming". Folha de São Paulo (in Portuguese). October 3, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  4. ↑ "The unforgettable Tetsuo - Part I". Best Swimming (in Portuguese). March 28, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Brazil medals at 1951 Pan". UOL (in Portuguese). 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  6. ↑ "The unforgettable Tetsuo - Part I". Best Swimming (in Portuguese). March 28, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  7. ↑ "First Brazilian gold in Pan American dies in Marilia". UOL (in Portuguese). October 2, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  8. ↑ "The unforgettable Tetsuo - Part II". Best Swimming (in Portuguese). April 5, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  9. ↑ "The unforgettable Tetsuo - Part II". Best Swimming (in Portuguese). April 5, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Profile at Sports Reference". Sports Reference. 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  11. ↑ "The unforgettable Tetsuo - Part II". Best Swimming (in Portuguese). April 5, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  12. ↑ "What happened to?". Terceiro Tempo (in Portuguese). 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Dies at age 75, pioneer of swimming". Folha de São Paulo (in Portuguese). October 3, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Dies the 1st Brazilian swimmer medalist in the Pan American". Terra (in Portuguese). October 2, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Dies swimmer who won the 1st medal at the Pan for Brazil". Estadão (in Portuguese). October 2, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  16. ↑ "First Brazilian gold in Pan American dies in Marilia". UOL (in Portuguese). October 2, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2013.