Water Polo at the Olympic Games: Tōkyō 1964

The Olympic Games reached the Far East for their 15th edition. It was Tōkyō to host the first edition of the Olympics to be staged in Asia. Similarly to Helsinki, the Japan capital city had won its bid for the 1944 edition, but the event was cancelled due to the Japanese invasion of China and, above all, World War II. The 1964 Games were the first to be telecasted internationally, with live coverage replacing the broadcasting of videotapes sent to foreign TV stations from the city of the event. From a political perspective, Tōkyō welcomed newly-established Malaysia whilst did not host South Africa, as the country was banned from sporting events because of the apartheid.

by Simone Pierotti

The first Olympics in Asia were marked by significant episodes. Ethiopian Abebe Bikila became the first athlete to win two marathons in a row, as well as to succeed twice. Similarly, Australian Dawn Fraser triumphed in the 100 metres freestyle for the third time in a row, setting up a new record. In athletics, future Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Bob Hayes grabbed the gold medal in the 100 metres, while his fellow countryman Billy Mills became the first and, still nowadays, only American to prevail in the 10,000 metres. Moreover, legendary boxer Joe Frazier was a gold medallist in the heavyweight category. Read more

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