Hatsuho Matsuzawa

Hatsuho Matsuzawa made considerable progress in swimming while attending Ichioka Senior High School in Osaka, setting Japanese records in the 50 and 100 m freestyle. She entered the Japan Women’s College of Physical Education which lacked, however, appropriate training facilities for swimming. In 1931, she captured the national title in the 100 m freestyle. Although she did not place first in the Japanese trials for the Los Angeles Olympics, Matsuzawa was selected as team captain. In the 100 m freestyle, none of the Japanese female swimmers advanced to the semi-finals. For health reasons , she was not able to make the Japanese relay team. The following year, she improved the national record in the 50 m freestyle to 31.6, a record that lasted until 1954.

After graduating Matsuzawa became a teacher at her previous high school in Ichioka and joined the Japanese team for the Berlin Olympics as a coach. She maintained a life-long friendship with 1936 gold medalist Hideko Maehata. In 1937 she married and later became a mother of five. The Japanese Federation of Swimming awarded her a Certificate of Merit in 1964. At the age of 70, she initiated a team of senior swimmers and competed in masters’ competitions. Five years later, she set a world record in the 50 m freestyle for her age group. Matsuzawa spent her last years with her daughter, after her house was destroyed during an earthquake in 1995.