Happy Women's Map 岡山県 日本人女性初のオリンピックメダリスト 人見 絹枝 女史
人見 絹枝 女史
Ms. Kinue Hitomi
1907 - 1931
岡山県岡山市 生誕
Born in Okayama-city, Okayama-ken
「私は日本を代表したのではないのだ。人見個人としてプラハに行ったのだ」
"I did not represent Japan. I went to Prague as an individual."
人見 絹枝女史は日本人女性初のオリンピックメダリストです。第２回スウェーデン万国女子オリンピックで走り幅跳びと立ち幅跳びで優勝。第９回アムステルダム・オリンピックで８００ｍで準優勝。第３回チェコ万国女子オリンピックで個人総合２位。日本の女子スポーツの啓蒙活動はじめ後進の育成さらに国際親善に尽力しました。
Ms. Kinue Hitomi is the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic medal. She won the 2nd Swedish Universal Women's Olympiad in the long jump and the standing long jump. She was runner-up in the 800m at the 9th Olympic Games in Amsterdam. She finished second in the individual all-around at the 3rd Czech World Women's Olympiad. She devoted herself to promoting women's sports in Japan, nurturing the next generation of athletes, and actively contributing to international goodwill efforts.
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絹枝は岡山県御津郡福浜村福成（現・岡山市南区福成）でイネとイグサを栽培する裕福な自作農家に生まれ父・母・祖母・姉と一緒に元気いっぱいに育ちます。教育熱心な両親のもと、福浜村立福浜尋常高等小学校（現・岡山市立福浜小学校）ではクラスで級長を務め、岡山県立岡山高等女学校（現・岡山県立岡山操山高校）に進学。毎日約6 kmの道を徒歩通学します。テニスに打ち込んで遅くまで練習に励んだ後は夕日と競走して走って帰宅、ペアを組んで県の大会で優勝します。脚気を患い修学旅行に行けない状態ながら、第2回岡山県女子体育大会に女代表として選ばれ、病床から無理を押して出場。走幅跳で4m67の当時日本最高記録で優勝してしまいます。校長の勧めで二階堂体操塾に入学、塾長・二階堂トクヨから体育の指導を受け、第3回岡山県女子体育大会では三段跳で10m33の世界最高を記録。18歳で同塾を卒業して体操教師となって京都市立第一高等女学校（現・京都市立堀川高校）に赴任するも、塾長・二階堂からの要請で体操の実技講師として台湾各地を巡回、同校の専門学校認可を助けます。様々な陸上競技会に出場、50m競走・100m競走・三段跳で優勝、400m競走・走幅跳・砲丸投で日本記録を更新、三段跳で世界最高記録を更新します。その頃、大阪毎日新聞社運動課の木下東作部長から「１つの学校の先生になるのか日本の女子スポーツの先生になるのか」と説得され、スポーツ記者兼アスリートとなります。関東大震災の翌年にスウェーデンのイエーテボリで第2回国際女子競技大会が開催されると、 絹枝は出場を固辞するも木下部長はじめ大阪毎日新聞社に説得され、シベリア鉄道に乗って監督もコーチもつかずたった一人で旅立ちます。１か月かけて現地に到着すると、走幅跳を5m50の世界記録で優勝、立ち幅跳びを2m47で優勝、個人総合で最高得点を挙げ最優秀選手に選ばれます。 絹枝19歳のときでした。この遠征で初めて国外陸上競技の事情を知り、自分のトレーニングはじめ専属コーチや年間トレーニングの重要性などを著書を通じて広く後進に伝えます。その後、国内外の陸上競技大会で、50m競走・100m競走・200ｍ競走・400m競走・立ち幅跳び・走幅跳で世界最高を記録。21歳のときに、オランダのアムステルダムオリンピックで女性の陸上競技5種目、100m競走、800m競走、走高跳、円盤投、400mリレー）が初めて認められます。 絹枝は日本女子選手として初出場、100m予選は1着で通過するも準決勝で4着となりまさかの敗退。「このままでは日本に帰れない」 絹枝は、監督の反対を振り切って800m競走に出場。決勝のスタートダッシュで20mほど他選手を引き離し、ペースを落とした2周目の5位から第3コーナーで3位、第4コーナーで2位と順位を盛り返し、ラストストレートでトップのドイツのリナ・ラトケ選手にあと15mまで迫り必死に腕を振ってほとんど同時にゴールイン。2分17秒4で日本人女性初のオリンピックメダリスト（銀メダル）となります。次々と選手が倒れた「死の激走」と呼ばれ、女子800m競走は以後32年間行われません。 絹枝はチェコ・プラハの女子オリンピック大会に後進の女子選手5名と一緒に参加することを決めます。全国の女学校に募金箱を設置して寄付を募ります。記者として働きながら本を執筆したり、競技者として各地に遠征する傍ら、後進の育成・講演会・大会遠征費の工面に奔走します。 絹枝はマネージャー兼監督兼コーチとして、走幅跳で優勝、三種競技（100m競走、走高跳、やり投）で2位、やり投・60m競走で3位、400mリレーで4位、個人総合で2位、日本チームを参加18ヶ国中4位に導きます。さらに若い選手を引き連れてヨーロッパ各地を転戦、ポーランド・イギリス・ドイツ・ベルギー・フランスで女子対抗競技会で体調を崩しながらも全種目に出場します。帰途、日本での冷ややかな新聞報道や手紙などに選手達とともに深く傷つきますが、募金の御礼とスポーツ啓蒙のために、休みなく各地に講演に出かけます。まもなく病臥に伏し、アムステルダムオリンピック800m決勝の日からちょうど3年後に24歳で死去。
Kinue was born into a prosperous family of self-made farmers who cultivated rice and cogongrass in Fukuhama Village, Gotō District, Okayama Prefecture (now Fukusei, Minami-ku, Okayama City). She grew up full of energy with her father, mother, grandmother, and sister. Under the guidance of her enthusiastic parents, she served as a class leader at Fukuhama Village Fukuhama Elementary School (now Fukuhama Elementary School, Okayama City), and then entered Okayama Prefectural Okayama Girls' High School (now Okayama Prefectural Okayama Sōzan High School). She commuted to school on foot every day, covering a distance of about 6 kilometers. After dedicating herself to tennis and practicing late into the evening, Kinue would race against the setting sun and run back home. She teamed up with a partner and won the county tournament. Despite suffering from beriberi and being unable to go on a study trip, she was selected as the female representative for the 2nd Okayama Prefecture Women's Physical Education Competition. She pushed herself to participate, even from her sickbed, and ended up winning the long jump with a record of 4.67 meters, which was the highest in Japan at the time. Upon the recommendation of the school principal, she enrolled in the Nikaido Gymnastics School, where she received physical education instruction from the school's founder, Tokuyo Nikaido. In the 3rd Okayama Prefecture Women's Physical Education Competition, she set a world record of 10.33 meters in the triple jump. She graduated from the school at the age of 18 and became a gymnastics teacher at Kyoto Municipal First Girls' High School (now Horikawa High School). However, at the request of Nikaido, she traveled to various places in Taiwan as a gymnastics practical instructor, helping the school obtain specialized school accreditation. She participated in various track and field competitions, winning the 50m, 100m, and triple jump events and setting Japanese records in the 400m, long jump, and shot put. She also set a world record in the triple jump. Around this time, she was persuaded by Higashisakuno, the head of the sports division at the Osaka Mainichi Shimbun, to become a sports reporter and athlete. The year after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the 2nd International Women's Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden. Kinue initially refused to participate but was persuaded by Osaka Mainichi Shimbun and others. She embarked on a journey alone, riding the Trans-Siberian Railway. Upon arriving a month later, she won the long jump with a world record of 5.50 meters, won the standing long jump with 2.47 meters, and achieved the highest score in the all-around, earning her the title of best athlete. She was 19 years old at the time. During this expedition, she learned about international track and field conditions for the first time and shared her knowledge about training and the importance of a dedicated coach and annual training through her writings, which she spread to the younger generation. Subsequently, in domestic and international track and field competitions, she set world records in the 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, standing long jump, and long jump. At the age of 21, at the Amsterdam Olympics in the Netherlands, women's track and field events (100m, 800m, high jump, discus throw, 400m relay) were recognized for the first time. Kinue made her debut as the first Japanese female athlete. She advanced to the 100m preliminaries in first place but unexpectedly failed to advance in the semi-finals, prompting her to defy her coach's objections and participate in the 800m race. In the 800m final, she took the lead with a 20-meter advantage in the start dash, and from 5th place on the second lap, she moved up to 3rd place at the third corner and 2nd place at the fourth corner, nearly catching up with Germany's Lina Radke, the leader. She vigorously waved her arms and crossed the finish line almost simultaneously. She became the first Japanese female Olympic medalist (silver medal) with a time of 2 minutes 17.4 seconds. This event was later called the "death run" as numerous athletes collapsed. Women's 800m was not held for the next 32 years. Kinue decided to participate in the Women's Olympics in Prague, Czechoslovakia, with five young female athletes. She set up donation boxes in schools nationwide to raise funds. While working as a reporter, she wrote books, participated in competitions, and worked tirelessly to support the development of young athletes, giving lectures and raising funds for overseas competitions. Kinue served as manager, coach, and athlete, winning the long jump, finishing 2nd in the pentathlon (100m, high jump, javelin throw), 3rd in the javelin throw and 60m, and 4th in the 400m relay, leading the Japanese team to 4th place out of 18 countries. She also traveled to various parts of Europe with young athletes, participating in women's competitions in Poland, the UK, Germany, Belgium, and France, despite falling ill. On her return to Japan, she was deeply hurt by the cold newspaper reports and letters, but she continued to give lectures tirelessly as a token of gratitude for the donations and for the promotion of sports. She soon fell seriously ill and passed away at the age of 24, exactly three years after the 800m final at the Amsterdam Olympics.
-岡山県遺跡＆スポーツミュージアム Okayama Ruins & Spoorts Museum
-日本体育大学 Japan Women's College of Physical Education
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