Portuguese Olympic Committee recalls Shintaro Yokochi’s work with his son – Football
The Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) registered the former swimming coach Shintaro Yokochi, who died Sunday at the age of 87, for his work with his son, the only Portuguese finalist swimmer in the Olympic Games.
“To the bereaved family, to Sport Algés and Dafundo, FC Porto and Benfica, clubs they represented, and to the Portuguese Swimming Federation, the COP offers heartfelt condolences”, can be read in a note from that organization.
In the text published by the COP, the work of Shintaro Yokochi as coach of his son, Alexandre Yokochi, the only Portuguese swimmer in an Olympic final, is highlighted, having been seventh in the 200 meters breaststroke in Los Angeles1984, as well as the work in several clubs and in the national team swimming, whose entourage to the Tokyo 1964 Games he coordinated.
“A successful figure in Japanese swimming, he brought innovative techniques to Portugal and contributed to the development of the sport”, can be read in the note.
Yokochi, born on October 31, 1935 in Yokohama, survived the explosion of the first atomic bomb, in Hiroshima, on August 6, 1945, and in 1958 he moved to Portugal, to coach Sport Algés and Dafundo.
He got married and raised a family in Portugal, with Alexandre following in his footsteps as a swimmer, having won a silver medal at the Europeans for Portugal, among countless other achievements, with seventh place in Los Angeles as his culmination.