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1st Woman of Color to Win |
1st Woman of Color to Win
Kinue Hitomi, a Japanese born farm girl is the first woman of color to win an Olympic medal in the modern day Olympics. Ms Hitomi won the Silver Medal (2nd place) in the 800 meter competition in the 1928 Olympic Games.
However, this is only the beginning of the story of a true hero to her country and to women’s sports. Ms Hitomi, in her short life of 31 years, led her nation’s women into a new world of opportunity. Much like the American sports legend Alice Coachman, Ms Hitomi gave the women of her country a beacon of light to follow.
Japan, 100 years ago when Ms Hitomi was a farm girl, was nothing like today’s modern Japan. Women and girls had no rights, much like Ms Coachman’s situation in America. Ms Hitomi was fortunate to go to school and to excel in subjects that allowed her to acquire a position with a newspaper. Her newspaper job allowed her to be in a position to participate in the World Games and the Olympic Games.
In the 1926 World Games she was the only Japanese participant to earn a medal. She entered as many events as could. She entered the 60 meter dash, the 100 meter dash, the long jump, the standing long jump and the discus throw. She scored 15 points for 5th place in the Games.
What a surprise.
Two years later at the 1928 Olympic Games, she earned her place in history with the 2nd place win in the 800 meter race. Ms Hitomi’s efforts at the 1928 Olympics were noticed. Though she died in 1931, in 1932, the Japanese team had 16 women in the Olympics. The number of women involved in the Olympics continued to grow and in the 1964 Tokyo Games, there were 61 women on the Japanese team.
 [ Photo provided by Multi-Media Partners Ltd. ] | |
| Kinue Hitomi of Japan the first woman of color to win a medal (2nd Place) in the Olympics in 1928 | |