Osamu Watanabe

Osamu Watanabe
Osamu Watanabe at the 1964 Olympics
Personal information
Born(1940-10-21)October 21, 1940
Wassamu, Hokkaido, Japan
DiedOctober 1, 2022(2022-10-01) (aged 81)
Tokyo, Japan
EducationChuo University[1]
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
SportFreestyle wrestling
Medal record
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1964 Tokyo63 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1962 Toledo63 kg
Gold medal – first place1963 Sofia63 kg
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place1962 Jakarta63 kg

Osamu Watanabe (渡辺 長武, Watanabe Osamu; October 21, 1940 – October 1, 2022) was a Japanese freestyle wrestler. In 1962 (Toledo, Ohio), he debuted internationally and was the reigning world champion, when he capped off his career with a gold medal for Japan in freestyle wrestling at the 1964 Olympics, retiring from competition shortly afterwards as the only undefeated Olympic champion to date at 189–0.[2][3] He is considered one of the best wrestlers in Olympic history.[4]

In the early 2000s Watanabe resumed competing internationally in the masters category.[5] He died of a heart attack on October 1, 2022.[6]

References

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  1. ↑ Osamu Watanabe at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  2. ↑ Tomizawa, Roy (2 July 2015). "Osamu "Animal" Watanabe – 189 Straight Victories in Wrestling". The Olympians from 1964 to 2020. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  3. ↑ The numbers vary from 187 to 300+ (Britannica)
  4. ↑ "FLAWLESS WATANABE SECURES FEATHERWEIGHT WRESTLING GOLD". olympic.org. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  5. ↑ Osamu Watanabe. ssf.or.jp
  6. ↑ 渡辺長武さんが死去、心臓発作で 64年東京五輪金メダリスト レスリング協会発表 (in Japanese)
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