Tsuyoshi Yamanaka, a silver medalist of the Melbourne and Rome Olympics for swimming, received the Distinguished Service in Sports Award on May 21.
“I am extremely grateful to be the recipient of this award 111 years after the founding of the swimming club,” Yamanaka said. “I would like to accept this award on behalf of the Toeikai (Waseda University’s Swimming Club) […] I cannot express how much Waseda has had influence on my life.”
In regards to his achievements as a competitive swimmer, he noted, “I entered the Olympics three times and won four silver medals, but I never won a gold medal. No matter how many other competitions I won, it did not mean anything if I could not win the Olympics. To be at your best in the Olympics games, which only come around once every four years, defines the true strength of an athlete.” To the newly admitted sport club members, he encouraged with the following words: “Doing your best equally at both the intercollegiate games and the Olympics – this type of mentality is what underlies Waseda’s spirit. Throughout your four years, I wish you good luck on thriving in your academics and in sports.”
At Waseda University, we honor Tsuyoshi Yanaka with this award for making significant, longtime contributions to the world of Japanese swimming and his efforts to become an aspiration for the Japanese people through excellent sportsmanship.
Tsuyoshi Yamanaka’s Profile
Yamanaka was born in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture in 1939. He was an accomplished swimmer who competed worldwide. He is recognized for many of his achievements, including winning four silver medals in the Olympic games. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, he entered the competition as a 3rd year high school student, winning the silver medal for both 400m and 500m freestyle. The national team also placed 4th place in the 800m relay. In the Rome Olympics in 1960, Yamanaka was in his 4th year at Waseda University. He won the silver medal for 400m freestyle and 800m relay and finished 4th in the 1500m freestyle. Then, he placed 6th in the 400m freestyle swimming competition in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In addition, Yamanaka was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1983.
About the Award for Distinguished Service in Sports
This award, created in 1982 to commemorate the centennial of the University, honors alumni over 70 years of age who have made distinguished contributions in sports.
