Mitsuo Tsukahara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mitsuo Tsukahara |
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| Country represented |  Japan |
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| Born | December 22, 1947 Tokyo, Japan |
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| Height | 166 cm (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Men's artistic gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eponymous skills | Tsukahara vault | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Mitsuo Tsukahara, born on December 22, 1947, is a legendary Japanese artistic gymnast. He is famous for winning five Olympic gold medals! After he stopped competing, he continued to be involved in gymnastics. He even served as a vice president for the Japan Gymnastic Association.
Tsukahara competed in the late 1960s and 1970s. He retired from competitions after the World Championships in 1978. During his amazing career, he earned a total of five gold, one silver, and three bronze Olympic medals. He was a key player in Japan winning the team competition at three Olympic Games in a row: 1968, 1972, and 1976. Mitsuo Tsukahara married fellow gymnast Chieko Oda. His son, Naoya Tsukahara, also became a successful gymnast, winning many medals at World Championships and Olympic Games. Naoya was still competing as of 2014.
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Mitsuo Tsukahara's Famous Gymnastics Skills
Mitsuo Tsukahara's name is very well-known in gymnastics. This is because he created two amazing moves that many gymnasts still perform today!
The Tsukahara Salto
One of his famous moves is a special kind of flip called the full-twisting double salto. In this skill, a gymnast does two flips in the air while also twisting completely around once during the first flip. Tsukahara was the first to perform this on the floor exercise and the horizontal bar. He did this move often throughout his career.
In many countries, any double flip with a full twist is often called a "Tsukahara." This is true for both male and female gymnasts and on different equipment. Sometimes, people even call it a "Moon Somersault" or "Moon Salto."
The Tsukahara Vault Explained
Tsukahara also invented a special way to do a vault, which is now called the "Tsukahara vault". Imagine a gymnast running towards the vaulting table. They do a roundoff (a cartwheel-like move) onto the table. Then, they push off and perform a backward flip in the air. This flip can be done without any twists, or with twists, depending on the gymnast.
Before 2005, gymnasts used a different piece of equipment called a "horse" for vaults. Women often did Tsukahara-style vaults with a half-twist as they landed on the horse. Mitsuo Tsukahara himself usually performed his vault in a straight, stretched position, without adding any twists.
Who Uses the Tsukahara Vault Today?
The "Tsukahara" name is strongly linked to a specific way of entering the vault. It's sometimes confused with another vault style called the Kasamatsu. However, the Tsukahara style is still very popular among gymnasts who:
- Perform the basic vault in a tucked, piked, or stretched body shape.
- Twist in the opposite direction from how they entered the vault. For example, Gervasio Deferr won Olympic gold in 2004 with a Tsukahara that had 2.5 twists!
- Do two flips instead of just one. Leszek Blanik, the 2008 Olympic Vault Champion, is one of many gymnasts who performed a Tsukahara with a double pike flip.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Mitsuo Tsukahara has received many honors for his contributions to gymnastics. In November 2009, the Government of Japan honored him with a special award. He received a Medal of Honour with a purple ribbon. This medal recognizes people who have made great achievements in arts, sports, or science.
See also
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
