Hironoshin Furuhashi

Hironoshin Furuhashi (古橋 廣之進, Furuhashi Hironoshin, 16 September 1928 – 2 August 2009) was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer. In 1948, he set world records in the 400 and 1,500 meter freestyles at the Japan national championships. Furuhashi and Japan were not allowed to compete at the 1948 Summer Olympics because of Japan's role in World War II.[1][2]

Hironoshin Furuhashi
Personal information
Full nameHironoshin Furuhashi
Nickname(s)Flying fish of Fujiyama
NationalityJapan
Born(1928-09-16)September 16, 1928
Yūtō, Shizuoka, Japan
DiedAugust 2, 2009(2009-08-02) (aged 80)
Rome, Italy
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle

Because of his achievement at the 1949 U.S. National Championships of Aquatics, in which he set new world records of freestyle swimming in all distance categories, Furuhashi was referred to by the US media as "the flying fish of Fujiyama".[3]

Furuhashi competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, but did not perform well because of the lingering effects of dysentery which he had contracted during a swimming tour of South America in 1950. In total, Furuhashi set 33 world records during his swimming career. After retiring from competitive swimming, he served as president of the Japanese Olympic Committee for five terms until retiring in 1999.[1]

On August 2, 2009, he was found dead in his sleep at his hotel room in Rome, where he was staying for the 2009 World Aquatics Championships.[3]

World records

Official
1949 U.S. Championships
  • 400m freestyle 4:33.3
  • 800m freestyle 9:33.5
  • 1500m freestyle 18:19.0

Unofficial
1947 Japan Championships
  • 400m freestyle 4:38.4

Honours

See also

References
  1. Kyodo News, "Furuhashi, legendary swimmer, dead at 80", Japan Times, August 4, 2009.
  2. Odeven, Ed, "Swim legend Furuhashi inspired Japan at tough time", Japan Times, August 9, 2009, p. 18.
  3. Passages: Japan's Flying Fish Hironoshin Furuhashi, 80 Swimming World Magazine August 2, 2009
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