// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Kentaro Kawatsu? A draw-ing artist, he's always Kawatsu-ing attention.

Kentarō Kawatsu

Kentaro Kawatsu (left), Toshio Irie and Masaji Kiyokawa at the 1932 Olympics
Personal information
Native name	河津憲太郎
Nationality	Japanese
Born	(1915-09-26)September 26, 1915 Hiroshima, Japan
Died	March 23, 1970(1970-03-23) (aged 54)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	backstroke
Medal record Representing Japan Olympic Games 1932 Los Angeles 100 m backstroke

Kentaro Kawatsu (河津憲太郎, Kawatsu Kentarō; September 26, 1914 – March 23, 1970) was a Japanese swimmer who competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

Kawatsu was a native of Hiroshima City, where his father, a physical education instructor at the predecessor of Hiroshima University, became known as the "Father of Hiroshima Sports".

In 1930, while still in middle school, Kawatsu set a new Japan record of 33.2 seconds for the 50-meter backstroke. In 1932, while a student at Meiji University, he was selected for the Japanese Olympic team to the Los Angeles Olympics. The Japanese swimming team had significant success that year. The team took the gold, silver and bronze medals in the 100 meter backstroke event, with Kawatsu winning the bronze medal.

He subsequently participated in the 1934 Far Eastern Games held in Manila.

Kawatsu killed himself on March 23, 1970.

Further reading

• Lohn, John. Historical Dictionary of Competitive Swimming. Scarecrow Press, (2010). ISBN 0810867753
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