Happy Women's Map 和歌山県 日本女性初のオリンピック金メダリスト 前畑 秀子 女史
前畑 秀子 女史
Ms. Hideko Maehata
1914 -1995
和歌山県橋本市 生誕
Born in hashimoto-city, wakayama-ken
「絶望の淵から這い上がった経験こそ、金メダル以上の価値があった。」
"The experience of crawling out of the depths of despair was worth more than a gold medal."
前畑秀子女史は日本の水泳選手、日本初のオリンピック女子金メダリストです。母校の水泳指導や市民向け水泳教室などで、水泳の普及に尽力。
Ms. Hideko Maehata was a Japanese breaststroke swimmer and the first Japanese woman to earn a gold medal in the Olympics. She worked hard to popularize swimming at her alma mater's swimming instruction and citizen's swimming class.
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秀子は和歌山県伊都郡橋本町（現、橋本市）に豆腐屋の5人兄弟に生まれます。生まれたときから病気ばかりしていて体が弱く、心配した両親は髪の毛を短く切って男の子のように育てます。3歳になると紀ノ川へ連れて行き、背中に乗せて泳ぎます。それから毎年5月になるとひとりでも紀ノ川へ行って泳ぐようになります。橋本尋常小学校へ入学すると4年生で水泳部に入部します。水泳部の先生たちは手製で紀ノ川に天然プールを作成、大阪まで正式な泳ぎ方を習いに行きます。秀子は平泳ぎを選び、5年生のときに大阪で開催された学童水泳大会で50メートル平泳ぎの学童新記録を更新。橋本尋常高等小学校高等科へ進学、中学科1年生で100ｍ平泳ぎで1分38秒という学童新記録並びに日本女子新記録を出します。高等科2年生のとき100メートル平泳ぎで1分33秒2という自身が持つ日本記録を大きく更新。高等科3年生のとき「汎太平洋女子オリンピック大会」がハワイで開催され、100メートル平泳ぎで優勝、200メートル平泳ぎで2位となります。名古屋市の椙山高等女学校（現在の椙山女学園）の椙山正弌校長は日本で初めての室内プールを学園内に作って初泳ぎを前畑秀子に依頼、学生寮を秀子に提供して椙山高等女学校に迎え入れます。すると秀子の母さらに父が後を追うように若くして脳溢血で亡くなります。秀子は学校をやめますが、親類や先生たちの計らいもあり、秀子の兄がお嫁さんをもらって秀子を学校へ戻します。椙山女子専門学校に進学した秀子は18歳のときにロサンゼルスオリンピック選手選考会200メートル平泳ぎで自身の日本新記録3分12秒4で1着になりロサンゼルスへと旅立ちます。ロサンゼルスオリンピック当日、女子200メートル平泳ぎ決勝で秀子はオーストラリアのデニス選手と0.1秒差で2位になるも3分6秒4と自信の日本記録を6秒縮めます。意気揚々と帰国する秀子に、オリンピック誘致に奔走していた東京市長の永田秀次郎はじめ多くの人は「なぜもう10分の1秒縮めて金メダルを取ってくれなかったんかね。」と責めます。ベルリンオリンピックに向けて、秀子は1年365日、朝5時に起きて朝・昼・夜と3回に分けて2万メートル泳ぎます。寒い冬は陸上トレーニングの厳しい練習の日々を3年送り、東京で開催された水泳競技大会で女子200メートル平泳ぎで3分3秒6という世界記録を出します。ベルリンオリンピック当日、世界が戦争に向かって動き出している国威発揚の期待は4年前よりもはるかに高まっていました。秀子は熱田神宮の御守を水と一緒に飲み込んで臨み、3分3秒6、2位のゲネンゲル選手との差はわずか0.6秒で優勝。日本女性初のオリンピック金メダルを獲得します。引退後は、戦後に岐阜市内で病院を開業する夫を看護師見習いとして手伝うも、夫は若くして脳溢血で死去。秀子は４５歳で椙山女学園の医務室に勤務する傍ら水泳部のコーチも務め、後進の育成に力を注ぎます。53歳のときに名古屋市で市民向け水泳教室を開講。子供から高齢者まで、幅広い世代に向けて水泳の楽しさや、それを通じた健康づくりなどを積極的に広めます。６９歳のときに自身も脳溢血で倒れるも、岐阜の温泉病院で懸命なリハビリを自らに課して麻痺を回復、再びプールに戻ります。日本女子スポーツ界の文化功労者に選ばれ80歳で逝去。
In a town called Hashimoto in Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture (now Hashimoto City), a girl named Hideko was born into a family of tofu makers. From birth, she suffered from various illnesses and had a weak constitution. Concerned parents cut her hair short and raised her like a boy. At the age of 3, they took her to the Kii River and carried her on their back while swimming. Every May thereafter, she would swim alone in the Kii River. When she entered Hashimoto Elementary School, she joined the swimming club in 4th grade. The teachers of the club created a natural pool in the Kii River and took her to Osaka to learn proper swimming techniques. She chose breaststroke and set a new student record for 50 meters breaststroke at the elementary school swimming competition in Osaka during 5th grade. She progressed to Hashimoto Junior High School and in her first year, she set a new student and Japanese women's record for 100 meters breaststroke at 1 minute 38 seconds. In her second year of junior high, she drastically improved her own Japanese record in the 100 meters breaststroke, achieving a time of 1 minute 33.2 seconds. In her third year, she participated in the Pan-Pacific Women's Olympics held in Hawaii, winning the 100 meters breaststroke and coming in second in the 200 meters breaststroke. The principal of Sugiyama Girls' High School in Nagoya, Sugiyama Masaharu, constructed Japan's first indoor pool within the school premises. He invited Hideko to have her first swim in this pool and provided her with accommodation. Tragedy struck as both her parents passed away from cerebral hemorrhages, leaving Hideko to leave school. However, with support from relatives and teachers, she returned to school thanks to her brother's marriage. Hideko, who enrolled in Sugiyama Women's College, set a new Japanese record in the 200 meters breaststroke at 18 years old during the Tokyo Olympics selection event, securing the first place with a time of 3 minutes 12.4 seconds. She then headed to Los Angeles. At the Los Angeles Olympics, she came in second place in the women's 200 meters breaststroke final, only 0.1 seconds behind the Australian swimmer Denise. She improved her own Japanese record by 6 seconds with a time of 3 minutes 6.4 seconds. Upon her return, many criticized her for not winning the gold medal by just 0.1 seconds. In preparation for the Berlin Olympics, Hideko swam 20,000 meters daily, dividing it into three sessions from 5 AM. She endured three years of rigorous training even in harsh winter conditions. In a swimming competition held in Tokyo, she set a world record of 3 minutes 3.6 seconds in the women's 200 meters breaststroke. At the Berlin Olympics, despite the world inching closer to war, Hideko competed with a sacred charm from Atsuta Shrine, swallowing it with water. With a time of 3 minutes 3.6 seconds, she won by a mere 0.6 seconds, claiming Japan's first Olympic gold medal for a woman. After retiring, she supported her husband's medical practice in Gifu City but he passed away young from a cerebral hemorrhage. Hideko worked as a nurse and coached the swimming team at Sugiyama Girls' College while spreading her knowledge to the younger generation. At the age of 53, she started a swimming class for citizens in Nagoya, aimed at people of all ages, promoting the joy of swimming and its health benefits. She suffered a stroke at the age of 69, but through intensive rehabilitation, she made a remarkable recovery and returned to the pool. She was recognized as a cultural contributor to Japanese women's sports and passed away at the age of 80.
-和歌山スポーツ伝承館 Wakayama Sports Legend Museum
-椙山女学園 歴史文化館 Sugiyama Jyogakuen Historial Museum
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