Passages: Brazil’s Original Swimming Olympic Medalist Tetsuo Okamoto, 75

MARILIA, Sao Paolo, Brazil, October 3. ACCORDING to reports out of Brazil, the country's first Olympic medalist in swimming, Tetsuo Okamoto, passed away on Monday at the age of 75.

Okamoto, who won Brazil's first medal with a third-place effort in the 1500 freestyle at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, passed away in his hometown of Marilia, Sao Paolo due to heart and respiratory failure.

Okamoto's bronze at the Olympics was not his only international success. He doubled with a pair of triumphs in the 400 and 1500 free at the 1951 Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires. He also helped Brazil to a silver medal in the 800 freestyle relay that year.

Additionally, Okamoto became the first South American under the 19-minute barrier in the 1500 free with a time of 18:51 to claim his Olympic bronze medal.

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