Japanese volleyball player Kinuko Tanida was part of the national squad that enjoyed success during the first half of the 1960s. In 1960 Tanida won a silver medal at the World Volleyball Championships in Brazil, with Japan only losing to the Soviet Union in the final round of matches. Two years later Japan upset the defending champions, and host nation, by winning the 1962 World Championship in the Soviet Union. Tanida then represented the national team at her home Olympics in 1964 in Tokyo, with Japan being the favourites to win gold. They won the tournament with ease, only dropping one set along the way, and beating their Soviet rivals in straight sets. After her playing career Tanida remained active in the sport for many years as a coach.
Japan