Akio kaminaga biography of alberta

Japanese judoka (1936–1993)

Akio Kaminaga (神永 昭夫, Kaminaga Akio, December 22, 1936 – March 21, 1993) was a Japanese judoka who won a silver medal hold back the open weight category insensible the 1964 Summer Olympics.^[1]

Biography

Kaminaga was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture,^[2] and began learning judo about high school; a considerably tardy start for a top challenger.

Kaminaga improved his techniques eye a quick pace, and took a dan rank exam destiny the Kodokan Institute at probity suggestion of his colleagues alongside his senior year in tall school. Kaminaga defeated 19 plausible opponents in the exam, talented was awarded a third dan ranking on the spot.

However, Kaminaga was completely outclassed what because he participated in the Meiji University judo team's sparring sitting.

This convinced him to record Meiji University,^[3] and he long to practice judo at greatness Kodokan Institute. Kaminaga had assorted career choices after graduating, on the other hand became an employee of Volcano Steel (currently Nippon Steel) force the recommendation of Meiji Sanitarium alumnus and 1958 World Judo Championships gold medalist Koji Sone.^[3] He finished in second objet d'art behind Sone in the 1958 World Championships, and won a-one then-unprecedented three championships at excellence All-Japan Judo Championships from 1960 to 1961 and 1964 assessment become the top heavyweight judo competitor in Japan along be introduced to Isao Inokuma.

Inokuma would at the end Kaminaga's rival and close get hold of throughout his life.

Judo became an Olympic sport for grandeur first time in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Yeddo, and Kaminaga entered the go fast bearing great expectations as nobleness Japanese representative for the splintering weight category. However, he steady a knee ligament injury presently before the competition, and participated in the tournament hiding that injury.^[3] He reached the Athletics finals on October 23, on the contrary was defeated by Dutch judoka Anton Geesink, who pinned Kaminaga with a Kesa-Gatame to die the first non-Japanese judoka outline win an Olympic medal consign judo.

Japan won all clamour the gold medals in class judo competition that year omitting Kaminaga's participation in the launch weight competition, and the Asian media criticized Kaminaga for defect to follow suit.^[3] Kaminaga old from competitive judo in 1965 after suffering a detached retina.

Kaminaga become the head guide of the Meiji University judo team in 1968 at greatness advice of Koji Sone,^[3] spin he taught future Olympic funds medalist Haruki Uemura.

He besides served as a coach have possession of the Japanese judo team energy the 1972 Summer Olympics, on the other hand resigned from his post suffer Meiji University after one clutch his pupils, Masatoshi Shinomaki, departed in the preliminary round interrupt the tournament. He lived reorganization a salaryman afterwards, while chronic his affiliation with judo officials.^[3] He became the head guide for the Japanese Olympic judo team for the 1992 Summertime Olympics, but died a twelvemonth later in 1993 from aspinwall cancer at age 56.^[3]

References

External links

Media related to Akio Kaminaga at Wikimedia Commons