Tsuyoshi Yamanaka
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese freestyle (crawl) swimmer. He never won an Olympic gold medal, but he has won four silver medals.
In college in the U.S. at the University of Southern California
, he broke the 200 m Freestyle World Record three times in less than two months (1961).
In addition to his numerous Japanese records, Yamanaka had two American Records in the 200 m and 400 m free and won the U.S. National AAU Championships in these same events. He has beaten Hall of Famer George Breen
in Olympic competition but often failed against Hall of Fame all-time great Murray Rose
.
Rose's birthday was six days before Yamanaka's and Murray used to kid him that out of respect for his elders he should let Rose finish first. He came in second in the 1956
and 1960
behind Hall of Famer Australians Rose and Konrads.
Yamanka's coach used the pebble method to get his star swimmer in shape. Whenever the Japanese star loafed in practice he would feel a pebble bounce off his back and knew the coach was watching him. After the workout Yamanaka had to pick up the pebbles, another incentive to train harder.
In college in the U.S. at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, he broke the 200 m Freestyle World Record three times in less than two months (1961).
In addition to his numerous Japanese records, Yamanaka had two American Records in the 200 m and 400 m free and won the U.S. National AAU Championships in these same events. He has beaten Hall of Famer George Breen
George Breen
George Breen is a retired freestyle swimmer from the United States, who has won four Olympic medals in his career. Breen twice broke the world record in the 1500 m freestyle....
in Olympic competition but often failed against Hall of Fame all-time great Murray Rose
Murray Rose
Iain Murray Rose AM was born on 6 January 1939 in Nairn, Scotland, but he moved to Australia with his family at an early age after World War II. He took up swimming as a boy and was an Olympic Games champion at age 17....
.
Rose's birthday was six days before Yamanaka's and Murray used to kid him that out of respect for his elders he should let Rose finish first. He came in second in the 1956
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
and 1960
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
behind Hall of Famer Australians Rose and Konrads.
Yamanka's coach used the pebble method to get his star swimmer in shape. Whenever the Japanese star loafed in practice he would feel a pebble bounce off his back and knew the coach was watching him. After the workout Yamanaka had to pick up the pebbles, another incentive to train harder.
Achievements
- 1956 - Two Olympic Silver Medals in 400 m freestyle and 1500 m freestyle
- 1960 - Two Olympic Silver Medals in 400 m freestyle and freestyle relay
- Fourteen World Records in 200 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle, and four freestyle relays
- Three American Records in 200 m freestyle and 400 m freestyle
- Two AAU Nationals in 200 m freestyle and 400 m freestyle
- Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of FameInternational Swimming Hall of FameThe International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
in 1983