Chiharu Igaya facts for kids
| Alpine skier | ||||||||||||||||||||
Igaya in 1956
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Disciplines | Slalom, giant slalom, Downhill, combined |
|||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Dartmouth College | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 20, 1931 Tomari, Kunashiri (ja), Hokkaidō, Japan |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 3 – (1952, 1956, 1960) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 1 (0 gold) | |||||||||||||||||||
| World Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 4 – (1952, 1956, 1958, 1960) includes Olympics |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 2 (0 gold) | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Chiharu Igaya (猪谷 千春, Igaya Chiharu, born May 20, 1931) is a famous former alpine ski racer from Japan. He is best known for winning a silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Italy. This made him the first ever Japanese and Asian athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics!
Igaya competed in three Winter Olympics during his career. He was also known by his nickname, "Chick."
Becoming a Ski Champion
Chiharu Igaya was born in Tomari, Kunashiri, Hokkaidō, Japan. He moved to the United States for college. He studied at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. While there, he raced for the college's ski team, known as the Dartmouth Big Green. He graduated in 1957.
Igaya quickly became a top skier. In 1954, he won the U.S. national title in slalom. This big win happened in Aspen, Colorado. He also won three NCAA titles in slalom in a row from 1955 to 1957.
Olympic Highlights
Igaya competed in the Winter Olympics three times.
- 1952 Winter Olympics: In his first Olympics, Igaya finished 11th in the slalom event. He also placed 20th in giant slalom and 24th in downhill.
- 1956 Winter Olympics: This was his most successful Olympics. He won the silver medal in the slalom race. This was a huge achievement for Japan and Asia. The famous Austrian skier Toni Sailer won all three alpine events at these Games. Igaya remains the only Japanese person to win an Olympic medal in alpine skiing.
- 1960 Winter Olympics: In his final Olympic appearance, Igaya finished 12th in slalom. He also placed 23rd in giant slalom and 34th in downhill.
World Championship Success
Besides the Olympics, Igaya also competed in the World Championships. In 1958, he won a bronze medal in the slalom event. He also finished fourth in the combined event at the same championships.
Life After Skiing
After his ski racing career, Chiharu Igaya worked in the insurance business. He eventually became the president of the Japanese branch of AIU Insurance Company.
He also stayed very involved in sports. He served as a vice-president for the International Triathlon Union. From 1982 to 2012, he was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This is a very important group that organizes the Olympic Games. He even became the IOC's vice-president in 2005. In 2012, he became an honorary member.
In 2018, Igaya was honored for his contributions to sports. He was inducted into the "Olympians for Life" project. This project celebrates athletes who continue to give back to sports after their competing days are over.
