Sasago Tani

After graduating from Meiji University, Sasago Tani worked for the Ministry of Railways in Manchuria. In 1917, he won the title in the 100 m dash at the Japan Athletics Championships for the first time, still under his birth name Sasago Madono. From 1922-25 he took the title in this event three consecutive times (no championship was held in 1924), also winning the 200 in 1923. After competing in the Paris Olympics, in 1925 he became the first Japanese to break the 11-second barrier for 100 metres, recording 10.8. Tani later coached Olympians Kinue Hitomi and Takayoshi Yoshioka and served as the president of the Athletics Association in the Mie prefecture.

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.8 (1925); 200 – 22.0 (1923).