Akira Kuroiwa
Encyclopedia
is a former ice speed skater
from Japan
, who represented his native country at two consecutive Winter Olympics, starting in 1984
in Sarajevo
, Yugoslavia
. In 1988, he won the bronze medal in the men's 500 metres, after having captured two world titles at the Sprints Championships (1983 and 1987). At the 1984 Winter Olympics, Kuroiwa placed 10th in the men's 500 .
Kuroiwa was a coach for the Japanese team during the 1998 Winter Olympics
.
In Japan, Kuroiwa made headlines in 1999 when he tried to shield Daisuke Matsuzaka
from an illegal driving charge by taking the blame for himself.
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, who represented his native country at two consecutive Winter Olympics, starting in 1984
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. In 1988, he won the bronze medal in the men's 500 metres, after having captured two world titles at the Sprints Championships (1983 and 1987). At the 1984 Winter Olympics, Kuroiwa placed 10th in the men's 500 .
Kuroiwa was a coach for the Japanese team during the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
.
In Japan, Kuroiwa made headlines in 1999 when he tried to shield Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
from an illegal driving charge by taking the blame for himself.