Daichi Suzuki


Daichi Suzuki is a retired Japanese backstroke swimmer. He won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

Swimming

Suzuki developed the swimming technique called underwater dolphin kick or what is known as the Berkoff Blastoff in the United States. This style in backstroke swimming was invented by either David Berkoff or Jesse Vasallo. However, it was Suzuki who finally developed the skill, allowing him to swim 25 meters underwater at the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. Four years later, he won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 1988 Seoul Olympics where Berkoff also competed.

Career

In 2015, Daichi was the head of the Japan Swimming Federation. On September 5, 2015, it was confirmed that he would take up a new position as head of Japan's new national sports agency, which was launched in October 1, 2015. The new organization, which is called Japan Sports Agency, is an Incorporated Administrative Agency or similar of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Its primary role is the coordination of a wide range of sports related functions and projects carried out by various government ministries. Specifically, the 121-person agency is tasked to improve Japan's athletic performance in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Educational background