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Takafumi Nishitani

Full name: Takafumi Nishitani
Original name: 西谷 岳文
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Weight: 141 lbs (64 kg)
Born: January 17, 1979 in Tadaoka, Osaka, Japan
Affiliations: Metts/Thanko
Country: JPN Japan
Sport: Short Track Speed Skating

Medals: 1 Gold (1 Total)

Biography

A former baseball player, the 19-year-old Takafumi Nishitani qualified for the 1998 Olympics by winning the 500 m in the Japanese Championships. Not much was expected of him at his home Games, so his qualification for the 500 m final already meant a huge surprise. Nishitani himself obviously expected more, and brought an extra pair of pants and hair gel just for the medal ceremony. In the race, he led from the start to take the gold, Japan's first in Olympic short track speed skating. It proved Nishitani's only major international result. After a disappointing showing at the Torino Olympics, he quit short track and switched to cycling, taking part in the very popular Japanese keirin circuit.

Results

Men's 500 metres

Event History
Games Age City Sport Country Phase Unit Rank T PTS BT PLR
1998 Winter 19 Nagano Short Track Speed Skating Japan Final Standings 1
1998 Winter 19 Nagano Short Track Speed Skating Japan Final Round A Final 1 42.862
1998 Winter 19 Nagano Short Track Speed Skating Japan Semi-Finals Heat Two 1 Q/OR 42.756 5
1998 Winter 19 Nagano Short Track Speed Skating Japan Quarter-Finals Heat Three 2 Q 42.980 3
1998 Winter 19 Nagano Short Track Speed Skating Japan Round One Heat Eight 2 Q 43.348 3
2002 Winter 23 Salt Lake City Short Track Speed Skating Japan Final Standings 8 47 42.535
2002 Winter 23 Salt Lake City Short Track Speed Skating Japan Quarter-Finals Heat Two 3 42.535 13
2002 Winter 23 Salt Lake City Short Track Speed Skating Japan Round One Heat Three 1 Q 43.211 34
2006 Winter 27 Torino Short Track Speed Skating Japan Final Standings 15 13 43.212 R1-3
2006 Winter 27 Torino Short Track Speed Skating Japan Round One Heat Seven 3 43.212 13

Men's 5,000 metres Relay

Event History
Games Age City Sport Team NOC Phase Unit Rank
2002 Winter 23 Salt Lake City Short Track Speed Skating Japan JPN Final Standings 5
2002 Winter 23 Salt Lake City Short Track Speed Skating Japan JPN Final Round B Final 1
2002 Winter 23 Salt Lake City Short Track Speed Skating Japan JPN Semi-Finals Heat One 3
2006 Winter 27 Torino Short Track Speed Skating Japan JPN Final Standings AC
2006 Winter 27 Torino Short Track Speed Skating Japan JPN Semi-Finals Heat Two AC