Eizo Kenmotsu

Eizo Kenmotsu (監物永三, Kenmotsu Eizō; born February 13, 1948) is a former Japanese artistic gymnast, who won seven world titles and three Olympic gold medals between 1968 and 1979. In retirement, he became a leading Japanese coach. He also served as sports director of the Nippon Sport Science University and vice president of the Japan Gymnastics Association. In 2006, Kenmotsu was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.^[1][2]

Born (1948-02-13) February 13, 1948 (age 78)

Okayama Prefecture, Japan

Height161 cm (5 ft 3 in)

DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics

Country
represented

Japan

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Eizo Kenmotsu
Personal information
Born	(1948-02-13) February 13, 1948 (age 78) Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Height	161 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Gymnastics career
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Country represented	Japan
Medal record Olympic Games 1968 Mexico City Team 1972 Munich Team 1976 Montreal Team 1972 Munich All-around 1976 Montreal Pommel horse 1976 Montreal Horizontal bar 1968 Mexico City Horizontal bar 1972 Munich Pommel horse 1972 Munich Parallel bars World Championships 1970 Ljubljana Team 1970 Ljubljana All-around 1970 Ljubljana Horizontal bar 1974 Varna Team 1974 Varna Parallel bars 1978 Strasbourg Team 1978 Strasbourg Parallel bars 1970 Ljubljana Floor 1970 Ljubljana Pommel horse 1970 Ljubljana Parallel bars 1978 Strasbourg All-around 1979 Fort Worth Team 1974 Varna All-around 1974 Varna Pommel horse 1974 Varna Horizontal bar

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Kenmotsu was 20 years and 8 months old in October 1968 when he became the youngest Japanese artistic gymnast in history to win an Olympic gold medal after the team event finals at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He held on to that longstanding record for almost 48 years until recently when it was finally broken by Kenzō Shirai, who in August 2016 acquired the honour when only 19 years and 11 months old, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro–also after the team event finals. Coincidentally, they had both similarly won one other Olympic medal, each an individual event bronze–Kenmotsu on the horizontal bar and Shirai on the vault–at their respective first Olympic Games.