Reizô Koike(1915-1998)

Reizo Koike was born on December 12, 1915 in Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan. Koike studied at Keio University in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Reizo won a silver medal in the men's 200m breaststroke at the 1932 Olympics and a bronze medal in the same event at the 1936 Olympics. Moreover, in between these Olympic triumphs Koike set an unofficial world record for the 100m breaststroke at one hour, fourteen minutes, and eight seconds. In addition, Reizo won a total of eight Japanese Championship titles altogether. After World War II Koike became a coach for the Japanese national Olympic swimming team and chairman of the Japan Swimming Federation. Reizo was present at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Koike received the Olympic Order in Silver in 1990 and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1996. He died of lung cancer at age 82 on August 3, 1998.