The Japanese had not won a medal in track and field, and now Tsuburaya was about to make history. Abebe Bikila, the Ethiopian who captured the gold medal in Rome in 1960 while running barefoot, finished four minutes earlier, setting a world record. As Bikila did calisthenics in the infield, Tsuburaya headed to the finish line looking exhausted and pained. A medal would also add an exclamation point to the Tokyo Games, which were being celebrated as evidence of the country’s emergence from the devastation of World War II. Tsuburaya’s success in the most grueling of races spoke to the nation’s collective sacrifice.

Source: New York Times July 18, 2021 15:45 UTC