Yoshinori Sakai
Japanese athlete From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yoshinori Sakai (坂井 義則, Sakai Yoshinori, August 6, 1945 – September 10, 2014) was the Olympic flame torchbearer who lit the cauldron at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Yoshinori Sakai at the 1964 Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 6, 1945 Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Japan |
| Died | September 10, 2014 (aged 69) Tokyo, Japan |
| Sport | |
| Country | Japan |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Club | Waseda University |
Medal record | |
Biography
Sakai was born on the day of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He was chosen for the role to symbolize Japan's postwar reconstruction and peace. An enthusiastic part-time athlete, at the time of the 1964 Olympics he was a member of Waseda University's running club. The nineteen-year-old was coached in the ceremonial duty by Teruji Kogake, a triple jump world record-holder turned coach.[1] He never actually competed in any events at the Olympics.
Two years after the Olympics, he won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay and a silver in the 400 m at the 1966 Asian Games. He joined Fuji Television in 1968 as a journalist and worked mainly in the fields of news and sports.[2]
He died of cerebral bleeding in Tokyo at age 69, on September 10, 2014.[3]
References
External links
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