Reiko Nakamura (中村 礼子, Nakamura Reiko, born May 17, 1982 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture)[1] is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer. She swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning the bronze medals in the 200m backstroke at both editions. In doing so, she became the first Japanese woman in 72 years to win medals at consecutive Olympic games.[2] She retired shortly after achieving this, in October 2008.[2]

Reiko Nakamura
Personal information
Full name中村 礼子
Nationality Japan
Born (1982-05-17) May 17, 1982 (age 42)
Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Height166 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight53 kg (117 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
Strokesbackstroke
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens 200 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing 200 m backstroke
World Championships (LC)
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Montreal 200 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Melbourne 100 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Melbourne 200 m backstroke
World Championships (SC)
Silver medal – second place 2002 Moscow 200 m backstroke
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place 2006 Victoria 200 m backstroke
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2001 Beijing 200 m backstroke
Gold medal – first place 2003 Daegu 200 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2003 Daegu 100 m backstroke
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Daegu 4×100 m medley

At the 2008 Olympics, Nakamura set the Asian Records and Japanese Records in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes (59.36 and 2:07.13).

At the 2007 World Championships, she swam to a new Japanese Record in the 100 back (1:00.40) in finishing third. Eight days later, she lowered the mark to 1:00.29 in winning the 2007 Japan Championships.[3]

See also

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References

edit
  1. ^ Nakamura's entry Archived 2007-03-08 at the Wayback Machine on databaseolympics.com.
  2. ^ a b "Two-time medalist Nakamura quits". The Japan Times. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  3. ^ Reiko wins back national swimming title[permanent dead link], published 2007-04-06; retrieved 2009-07-13.
Records
Preceded by Women's 100-meter backstroke
world record-holder (short course)

March 4, 2001 – November 29, 2001
Succeeded by
Preceded by Women's 200-meter backstroke
world record-holder (short course)

February 23, 2008 – April 11, 2008
Succeeded by