Great Olympians

Biographies - TA

Tac - Tai - Tak - Tal - Tam - Tan - Tao - Tap - Tar - Tas - Tau - Tay

Miya Tachibana

Japan
Synchronized Swimming (2 silver)
2000 2004 HP
Duet silver silver 10000
10000

Twice together with Miho Takeda

Albert Taillandier

Olympic Competitor nr 1572

Lt. Taillefert

Olympic Competitor nr 262

Tymur Taimazov

B. 1970-09-08, Nogir, Northern Ossetia-Alaniya, Russia, represented the Unified team in 1992 and the Ukraine in 1996
Weightlifting (1 gold, 1 silveer)
1992 1996 HP
Heavyweight I silver 15600
Heavyweight II gold
15600

His brother, Artur Taymazov, competed for Uzbekistan as a wrestler.

Armas Rudolf Taipale

B. 1890-07-27, Finland; D. 1976-11-09
Track and Field (2 gold, 1 silver)
1912 1920 1924 HP
Discus Throw gold silver 12th 15575
Discus Throw, two-handed gold 6400
Shot Put 10th 150
22125

Blyth Tait

New Zealand
Equestrianism
1992 1996 2000 2004 HP
Three-day Event, Individual bronze gold - 19th 11202

(126)

Takács Károly

B. 1910-01-21, Budapest, Hungary
Shooting (2 gold)
1948 1952 HP
Rapid-Fire Pistol gold gold 19200
19200

Between 1929 and 1938 he shot right-handed, but then he lost his right hand in a hand-grenade explosion and he taught himself to shoot left-handed. He was a member of the Hungarian national team that won the world title at Lucerne in 1939 and after the war he won his two Olympic titles.

Anni Helena Takalo

Finland
Nordic Skiing (1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
1972 1976 1980 HP
10 km fifth silver bronze 8316
5 km 9th gold 8th 6816
3 x 5 km silver 2475
4 x 5 km silver fifth
17607

Miho Takeda

Japan
Synchronized Swimming (2 silver)
2000 2004 HP
Duet silver silver 10000
10000

Twice together with Miya Tachibana

Masao Takemoto

Japan
Gymnastics (1 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze)

(104.25 HP)

Gholamreza Takhti

B. 1930-08-27, Tehran, Iran; D. 1968-01-07
Wrestling - Free-Style (1 gold, 2 silver)
1952 1956 1960 1964 HP
-79 kg silver 30000
-87 kg gold silver
-97 kg fourth
30000

Born in Tehran and raised in poor circumstances. He trained in a makeshift sports hall until he left Tehran to work as an oilworker. After being drafted into the army he was introduced to freestyle wrestling, He won his first Iranian championship in 1950, and became the first Iranian wrestler to win an international medal when he gained silver in the World Championships at Helsinki in 1951, followed by silver at the Helsinki Olympics. Later he won gold in the 1956 Olympics and the 1959 World championships.
Although Tahkti competed unsuccessfully at the 1964 Olympics and 1966 World championships this was due to his being chosen for adverse political reasons. Although he had retired from competition the government of the time attempted to discredit him in the eyes of the people (with whom he was extremely popular, particularly from an anti-government stance) by sending him to certain defeat. although he lost in competition his popularity was not diminished.
His mysterious death in 1967 was "officially" listed as suicide but the popular opinion was one of political assasination by government forces.

M. W. Talbott

Olympic Competitor nr 1688

Jaan Talts

B. 1944-05-19 in Laiksaare, Pärnu, Estonia, represented the Soviet Union
Weightlifting (1 gold, 1 silver)
1968 1972 HP
Middle Heavyweight silver 15600
Heavyweight gold
15600

Ryoko Tamura

competed in 2004 as

Ryoko Tani

B. 1975-09-06, Fukuoka, Japan
Judo (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 HP
Extra Lightweight (-48 kg) silver silver gold gold bronze 51480
51480

A surprising sixteen-year old in 1992, she lost not a single bout after Barcelona, and then lost in Atlanta to the one and only competitor from North Korea. Again undefeated for four years, she finally managed her gold medal at Sydney before a crowd almost completely made up of Japanese. Her final fight lasted only 30 seconds, but that was broken by Tadahiro Nomura, who won the other final the same evening in only 12 seconds.
She is immensely popular in Japan. The most prestigious Judo tournament in the World was started just for her in her home town of Fukuoka.

Tan Liangde

China
Diving (3 silver)
1984 1988 1992 HP
Springboard silver silver silver 13200
13200

Ayumi Tanimoto

B. 1981-08-04, Japan
Judo (2 gold)
2004 2008 HP
-63 kg gold gold 19200
19200

Adolf Tannert

Olympic Competitor nr 1162

Sheila Taormina

B. 1969-03-18, Livonia, MI, USA
Swimming, Triathlon and Modern Pentathlon (1 gold)
1996 2000 2004 2008 HP
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay gold 1600
Triathlon sixth 23rd 960.4
Modern Pentathlon 19th 2.4
2562.8

Not, as was announced, the first person in three different sports. see Doublers for six others. Tapavica (see below) also competed at three sports, but in 1896, Wrestling and Weightlifting were considered part of Athletics.

Momcilo Tapavica

B. 1872-10-14, Vojovodina, now a province of Serbia in Yugoslavia, then part of Hungary; D. 1949-01-10
Tennis, Weightlifting & Wrestling (2 gold, 1 silver)
1896 HP
Tennis, Men's Singles bronze 2600
Weightlifting, Two Hands sixth 640
Wrestling, Greco-Roman 1st round 1620
4860

Hungarian sources list his name as Momscilló Topavicza, but I've reverted to the spelling in Yugoslavia.

Olympic Competitor nr 56

Leonid Taranenko

B. 1956-06-13, Malaryta, Brest, Belarus, represented the Soviet Union and the Unified Team
Weightlifting (1 gold, 1 silver)
1980 1992 HP
Heavyweight II gold 19500
Super-heavyweight silver
19500

Tartara

Olympic Competitor nr 1284

Tass Olga

Hungary
Gymnastics (1 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)

(90 HP)

Ernest Tassart

Olympic Competitor nr 372

Ulrike Tauber

Germany
Swimming (1 gold, 1 silver)
1976 1980 HP
400 m Individual Medley gold fifth 11100
200 m Butterfly silver - 4000
15100

Henri Tauzin

Olympic Competitor nr 844

Angelo Taylor

B. 1978-12-29, Albany, GA, USA
Athletics (2 gold)
2000 2004 2008 HP
400 m Hurdles gold 13th gold 28857.6
28857.6

Frank Morgan Taylor

B. 1903, USA; D. 1975
Track and Field (1 gold, 2 bronze)
1924 1928 1932 HP
400 m Hurdles gold bronze bronze 21600
21600

At Paris, he stayed 1.4 sec below the world record, set by Frank Loomis at Antwerpen. This was not recognized as a World record though, as he had tripped one hurdle, which was not allowed in a record at that time. The second in the race was disqualified, so the man finishing third, Erik Vilen of Finland, was credited with the new World Record. The same would happen in 1932, when the silver medallist, Glen Hardin, was also proclaimed World Record holder.

Frederick Taylor

Olympic Competitor nr 1632

Henry Taylor

B. 1885-03-17, Great Britain; D. 1951-02-28
Swimming (4 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze)
1906 1908 1912 1920 HP
400 m Free-style silver gold SF:5th SF:4th 10323
1500 m Free-style gold SF:5th ht:dnf 9730
1 mile Free-style gold
4x250 m Free-style Relay bronze 3700
4x200 m Free-style Relay gold bronze bronze
23753

The complete 1500 m race at London was a mile long. Taylor was passed on the final lap by Thomas Battersby, who swam a new British mile best, which could not be recognised because it was swum in a 100 m pool (109.3yds), whereas records had to be swum in a 110 yds pool.

Howard Taylor

Olympic Competitor nr 477

Artur Taymazov

B. 1979-07-20, Vladikavkaz, then Soviet Union, North Ossetia, Russian Federation, competing for Uzbekistan
Wrestling, Freestyle (2 gold, 1 silver)
2000 2004 2008 HP
-130 kg silver 37800
-120 kg gold gold
37800

His brother, Tymur Taimazov, competed for Ukraine as a weightlifter.

Written 2000-12-03 - last modified 2002-10-31

This page is part of the site "Full Olympians" by Herman De Wael. See here for a full Introduction.