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Biography
Impairment information
Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency
Origin of Impairment
Congenital
Classification
S4, SB3, SM4
Further personal information
Occupation
Athlete, Student
Languages
Japanese, English
Higher education
Pedagogy, Sports Management - Waseda University: Tokyo, JPN
Sport specific information
When and where did you begin this sport?
He began swimming at about age four. He took a break from the sport at age 12, and started training again at age 16.
Why this sport?
His family encouraged him to try the sport. "I just wanted to enjoy it, and I really didn't expect that I'd become an international swimmer."
Club / Team
Goldwin [JPN] / Team Northumbria [ENG]:
Name of coach
Louise Graham [club]
International debut
Year
2004
Competing for
Japan
General interest
Nicknames
Taka (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018; Instagram profile, 20 Mar 2021)
Hobbies
Reading, shogi [Japanese chess], playing guitar. (Athlete, 11 Sep 2019; paralympic.org, 08 May 2020; taka-swimmer.com, 10 Jan 2021; Instagram profile, 15 May 2021)
Memorable sporting achievement
Setting a world record and winning a gold medal in the SB3 50m breaststroke at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018; Athlete, 11 Sep 2019)
Most influential person in career
His foster mother Yo Komatsu. (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018)
Hero / Idol
Spanish Para swimmer Xavier Torres. (Athlete, 12 Jul 2015)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Always be happy." (Athlete, 12 Jul 2015)
Awards and honours
In 2012 he received the Tokyo Citizen Sport Grand Prize in Japan. (sports-tokyo.info, 05 Oct 2012)
Ambitions
To win multiple gold medals at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (tokyo-np.co.jp, 04 Jan 2021)
Impairment
He was born with a congenital limb deficiency. He does not have a right leg and his left leg is missing from mid-thigh. His right arm ends at the elbow. (chinadaily.com.cn, 19 Sep 2008; waseda.jp, 14 Jun 2007)
Other information
MOVE TO ENGLAND
In 2014 he moved to England as he wanted to change his training environment. The following year he began studying and training at Northumbria University in Newcastle, England, where he completed a master's degree in international sport management in 2020. He plans to remain at Northumbria University to study for a PhD, in order to continue training with coach Louise Graham. "I found an amazing international swimming coach in Newcastle called Louise Graham, the head of aquatics at Northumbria University, and I asked her to coach me. I studied English so that I could train better and Newcastle turned out to be the best place for learning English and my swimming." (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018; nhk.or.jp, 29 Aug 2017; goldwin.co.jp, 23 Jul 2014; taka-swimmer.com, 10 Jan 2021; tokyo-np.co.jp, 04 Jan 2021)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has served as an ambassador for the 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018)
EARLY DAYS
Growing up he was cared for by his foster mother Yo Komatsu after he was left in the hospital by his biological parents when he was born. "I've always wanted my foster mum to be happy and to be proud of my athletics career. That was my main motivation when I started to compete - to make her proud." (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018)
In 2014 he moved to England as he wanted to change his training environment. The following year he began studying and training at Northumbria University in Newcastle, England, where he completed a master's degree in international sport management in 2020. He plans to remain at Northumbria University to study for a PhD, in order to continue training with coach Louise Graham. "I found an amazing international swimming coach in Newcastle called Louise Graham, the head of aquatics at Northumbria University, and I asked her to coach me. I studied English so that I could train better and Newcastle turned out to be the best place for learning English and my swimming." (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018; nhk.or.jp, 29 Aug 2017; goldwin.co.jp, 23 Jul 2014; taka-swimmer.com, 10 Jan 2021; tokyo-np.co.jp, 04 Jan 2021)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
He has served as an ambassador for the 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018)
EARLY DAYS
Growing up he was cared for by his foster mother Yo Komatsu after he was left in the hospital by his biological parents when he was born. "I've always wanted my foster mum to be happy and to be proud of my athletics career. That was my main motivation when I started to compete - to make her proud." (netimesmagazine.co.uk, 01 Sep 2018)
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 50 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 3 | 4 | ||
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Heat 2 | 2 | ||
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Final Round | 3 | ||
| Men's 50 m Backstroke S5 | Heat 2 | 7 | ||
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Heat 2 | 1 | ||
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Final Round | 2 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Heats | 8 | ||
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Final Round | 8 | ||
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Heats | 3 | ||
| Men's 50 m Freestyle S5 | Final Round | 7 | ||
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Final Round | 4 | ||
| Men's 200 m Freestyle S5 | Heats | 6 | ||
| Men's 200 m Freestyle S5 | Final Round | 6 | ||
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Heats | 1 | ||
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Final Round | 2 | ||
| Men's 50 m Freestyle S5 | Heats | 7 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 50 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 2 | 5 | ||
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 1 | 4 | ||
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Final Round | 7 | ||
| Men's 200 m Freestyle S5 | Final Round | 8 | ||
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Heat 2 | 1 | ||
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Final Round | 1 | ||
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Heat 2 | 2 | ||
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Final Round | 3 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 2 | 4 | ||
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Final Round | 7 | ||
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Heat 1 | 4 | ||
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Final Round | 8 | ||
| Men's 4x50 m Freestyle 20 pts | Heat 1 | 2 | ||
| Men's 4x50 m Freestyle 20 pts | Final Round | 4 | ||
| Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts | Heat 2 | 1 | ||
| Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts | Final Round | 2 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 50 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 2 | 2012-08-30 | 6 | |
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-02 | 3 | |
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Final Round | 2012-09-02 | 3 | |
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-03 | 1 | |
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Final Round | 2012-09-03 | 3 | |
| Men's 50 m Butterfly S5 | Heat 3 | 2012-09-07 | 5 | |
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-08 | 4 | |
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Final Round | 2012-09-08 | 8 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 200 m Freestyle S5 | Final 1 | 2013-08-13 | 4 | |
| Men's 200 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 1 | 2013-08-13 | 5 | |
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Final 1 | 2013-08-17 | 2 | |
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Final 1 | 2013-08-18 | 1 | |
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Heat 2 | 2013-08-18 | 1 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 50 m Backstroke S5 | Heat 2 | 2015-07-13 | 15 | |
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-15 | 5 | |
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Final 1 | 2015-07-15 | 5 | |
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Final 1 | 2015-07-17 | 2 | |
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Heat 2 | 2015-07-17 | 1 | |
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 1 | 2015-07-19 | 11 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 200 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-08 | 6 | |
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Final Round | 2016-09-12 | 4 | |
| Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM4 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-12 | 3 | |
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-14 | 1 | |
| Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB3 | Final Round | 2016-09-14 | 4 | |
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S5 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-17 | 6 |
