Mutsuo Taniguchi

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameMutsuo•Taniguchi
Used nameMutsuo•Taniguchi
Original name谷口•睦生
Born5 March 1913 in Kagami, Yatsuhiro, Kumamoto (JPN)
Died2 October 1943 in ?, Bougainville (PNG)
Measurements165 cm / 57 kg
AffiliationsKansai University, Suita (JPN)
NOC Japan

Biography

Mutsuo Taniguchi already excelled as a sprinter attending Uto High School. Later he enrolled in the Kansai University. Together with the “Dawn super express” Takayoshi Yoshioka he was considered one of Japan’s best sprinters before World War II. At the 10th Far Eastern Games in Manila in 1934 Taniguchi placed second in the 200 metres behind Yoshioka but ahead of Bunta Suzuki. In a meeting against the USA he clocked 21.2 over the 200 on a straight track, becoming the last Japanese record holder in the 200 metres on a straight track. Domestically, he won the sprint double in 1934 and again won the 200 metres in 1938 at the Japan Athletics Championships. After competing in the Berlin Olympics, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the Kansai University.

Taniguchi worked for the Yawata Steel Works (now part of Nippon Steel) before he was called to the service and transferred to the southern part of the Chinese front. In 1943 he was killed during the Battle of Bougainville Island (now part of Papua-New Guinea).

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.4 (1938); 200 – 21.5 (1938).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1936 Summer Olympics Athletics JPN Mutsuo Taniguchi
200 metres, Men (Olympic) 5 h2 r2/4
4 × 100 metres Relay, Men (Olympic) Japan AC h1 r1/2

Special Notes