| May 19, 2013 |
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| Olympic games
(5)
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Tokyo 1964
Asia's first Games attracted large crowds and a huge assault
on records. Vast sums, estimated to $ 3 billion, were spent not only on
stadia, but also on transport facilities. For varying reasons, South Africa,
North Korean and Indonesia were not invited.
The torch came into the stadium held by a runner who was born in
Hiroshima the day the City was destroyed by the atom bomb, in 1945.
The 100m American victor Bob Hays ran a phenomenal last leg in
the 4x100m, to regain, the title the U.S. had lost in Rome. One of the beaten
teams runner commented that all the U.S. had to show was Bob Hays. One of Bob's
teammates replied "Man, that's all we needed!"
The swimming pool events seemed to be an exclusive American affair.
They won firsts in everything. Everything but one. Some sportswriters wrote
that the Americans left one gold to get away because they got tired of listening
their national anthem played so many times! The gold they didn't win went to
Galina Prozumenschikova and marks the first gold ever won by a Soviet woman
swimmer.
The Olympiad's most medals are won by the little, charming Russian
young lady of the Soviet team, Larissa Latynina, a star of gymnastics, who took
back home two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.
Judo, being a Japanese affair and monopoly, was predicted by hosts
to bring a sure gold to their country. There was a painful shock for them when
Anton Geesink, a Dutch giant (1.98m) defeated their national champion in the
Open class.
Cassius Clay, a professional now named Muhammad Ali, did not fight
in the Tokyo Olympics. The time his class were fighting for the title, he was
training for his monumental fight against Floyd, a fight that made him richer
by $ 4 million.
Tokyo' s Olympics are considered the most athletic, the most sporting
ones. No scandals, no funny incidents. Many competitors refer to them as marking
the coming of commercialization but it was all hearsay...
Text by Dimitri N. Marcopoulos
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1964 Tokyo Olympics: Various WebPages
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Masaji Kiyokawa
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11/2/1913 - 13/4/1999
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