Yoshinobu Oyakawa (, born August 9, 1933) is an American former competition swimmer, 1952 Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in the 100-meter backstroke. He is considered to be the last of the great "straight-arm-pull" backstrokers. He still holds the world record in this technique.Nakaji, Bert, "Oyakawa First Big Islander to Win Olympic Games Title", Honolulu Star Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2 August 1952, pg. 7
Oyakawa was born in Kona, Hawaii to the Rev. and Mrs. Edward Oyakawa and raised in Papaikou. He has an older sister, Dorothy, and an older brother, Ensie Michio. Oyakawa may have done his earliest swimming in Pake Pond in Papaikou. He first attended East Honolulu's Kalanianaole High School, known as Kalani High School prior to Hilo High School in the Southeast Central coastal portion of the island of Hawaii."First Athlete-Coach Team is Selected in Annual Contest", Hilo Tribune-Herald, Hilo, Hawaii, 31 December 1952, pg. 9 A 1951 graduate, he began competitive swimming as a Sophomore at Hilo High around 1948 under Coach Charles Kiyoishi "Sparky" Kawamoto at the Hilo Aquatic Club. He won his first Hawaiian 100-meter AAU backstroke championship swimming for the Hilo Club in 1950, and repeated in 1951. His 1951 100-meter backstroke time of 1:07.5 in the Hawaiian AAU meet was America's best that year in a long course pool.
College Beginning in the Fall of 1951, Oyakawa attended Ohio State University under a swimming scholarship, under Head Coach Mike Peppe, along with 1952 Olympic medalist, and former Honolulu's McKinley High School swimmer Ford Konno. While at Ohio State, Oyakawa won six Big Ten, seven NCAA, and nine NAAU championships. After graduating Ohio State in March, 1956, Oyakawa enrolled in the U.S. Air Force.
Olympics Oyakawa placed fourth in the 200-meter backstroke at the National AAU Indoor Meet. But on July 5, 1952, at the more significant Olympics trials in New York, he swam an Olympic record time of 1:05.7 in the 100-meter backstroke finals, bettering the old record by .2 seconds and finishing ahead of the entire field of American trial competitors."Oyakawa Cops Olympic Backstroke Finals in Record 1:05.7", Honolulu Star Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii, 5 July 1952, pg. 6
Travelling with the U.S. team later in July, he represented the United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, where as a strong favorite he won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke event, breaking the fifteen-year standing record of American Adolph Kiefer, which had been set in 1936.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Yoshi Oyakawa. Retrieved October 4, 2012. In a close race, he swam a 1:05.4, finishing .8 seconds ahead of the French team's silver medalist Gilbert Bozon, and 1 second ahead of America's bronze medalist Jack Taylor.
He returned to Olympic competition at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, where he was elected co-captain along with Ford Konno. He finished 8th in the 100-meter backstroke competition.
Coaching Oyakawa became a teacher and coached swimming at Oak Hills High School from 1960 to 1985. He led Oak Hills to 23 conference championships and was named League Coach of the Year 23 times and Southwest Ohio Swimming Coach of the Year 12 times.
Honors Yoshinobu Oyakawa Day proclaimed by Big Island County Chairman James Kealoha on September 12, 1952 International Swimming Hall of Fame, 1973 Ohio High School Coach of the Year, 1972 The Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame, 1978 Hawaiʻi Sports Hall of Fame, 1998 Oak Hills Athletic Hall of Fame, 2008
See also List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame List of Ohio State University people List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
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