article by Nicola Pucci
Undoubtedly, the 100 meter freestyle race is the most prestigious of the Olympic trials held in the swimming pool lanes. Since his debut in the five-circle arena, from the inaugural edition in Athens 1896 which celebrated the victory of the Hungarian Alfred Hajos, he has entered names that belong to the swimming encyclopedia into the roll of honor, including the American of Honolulu Duke Paoa Kahanamoku (triumphant in 1912 in Stockholm and in 1920 in Antwerp) and the legendary Johnny “Tarzan” Weissmullerwho beat him in Paris in 1924, picking up the baton with two consecutive successes in France and in Amsterdam in 1928.
The Americans, as can be seen from the results of the 1924 Paris Games, dominate in the pool, but as the seasons pass the growth of the Japanese movement was recorded, which, after breaking the ice with Yoshiyuki Tsuruta’s victory in the 200 meter breaststroke at the Amsterdam Olympics, in turn defeated the competition four years later in Los Angeles, in 1932, winning five of the six scheduled men’s races (the only exception being the American Crabbe who won the 400 meters freestyle), finally collecting five golds, five silvers and two bronzes in the pool trials. The exceptional nature of these performances is due to the work of Professor Ikkaku Matsuzawa, a coach who imposes exhausting training loads and unthinkable hours on his athletes, but his results ultimately prove him right. And even the 100 meters freestyle applauds a champion who comes from the land of the rising sun, Yasuji Miyazakiwho is none other than the protagonist of our story today.
Effectively, the men’s 100 meter freestyle race in California takes on even more interest, given the absence of Weissmullerwinner of five gold medals between Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928 and had now become a cinematic hero in all respects (it was released in American theaters in 1932 “Tarzan the Ape Man“, the first of a long series of successful films), leaves the door of his succession open to many suitors. The competition takes place on August 6th and 7th Los Angeles Swimming Stadium, and the Olympics’ queen pool event features a field of 22 athletes, representing 10 countries. There is the Hungarian Istvan Barany, who was the silver medalist behind Weissmuller in Amsterdam, there is the Canadian Walter Spence, who was sixth in that race, and there is Manuella Kalili (male despite her name) , Albert Schwartz and Raymond Thompson, who have the difficult task of defending the American colors which have held the title in the most prestigious speed test since Charles Daniels won in London in 1908.
Yasuji Miyazaki, born in Shizuoka on October 15, 1916, is not yet 16 years old (to be precise, 15 years and 311 days), but he already showed up in the fourth heat with important credentials, scoring the best time in 58″7, just one tenth away from Weissmuller’s Olympic record. But the Japanese is only at the beginning of his Olympic exploits, and in the first semi-final he broke the limit by swimming a sensational 58″ clearleaving Thompson and Kalili clearly behind and with Barany, fourth (even if the images of the race would seem to assign him second place), excluded from the final. In the other semi-final, another Japanese player stands out, Tatsugo Kawaishinot yet 21 years old (and who died in battle on Iwo Jima during the second war), who precedes Schwartz and his compatriot Takahashi in 59″ and in turn puts forward his candidacy for a medal.
The final is actually uncertain, three Japanese against three Americans, but finally Miyazaki asserts the law of the strongest and wins the gold medal, in 58″2, with Kawaishi silver in 58″6 and Schwartz third in 58″8to save American honor.
A few days later Miyazaki, together with Yusa, Yokoyama and Toyoda, he will win the gold medal in the 4×200 freestyle relay, also setting a new world record. And then yes, not far from those Hollywood studios that will make him immortal, “Tarzan” he found his heir.