page_title: Takeichi Nishi
section_title: Uranus and Olympics competition
hierarchical_section_title: Takeichi Nishi / Uranus and Olympics competition
caption_attribution_description: バロン西（投稿者が撮影）
context_page_description: Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi was an Imperial Japanese Army officer, equestrian show jumper, and Olympic Gold Medalist at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. He was a tank unit commander at the Battle of Iwo Jima and was killed in action during the defense of the island.
context_section_description: In 1930, Nishi encountered what would be his favorite horse, Uranus, while in Italy.  As the army wouldn't pay for the horse, Nishi bought Uranus with his personal funds.  Nishi and Uranus competed in competitions around Europe, doing well.  In 1932, when Nishi was a first lieutenant, they participated in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, winning a gold medal in Equestrian at the 1932 Summer Olympics show jumping individual.  This remains Japan's only Olympic medal to date in an equestrian event.  His victory broke through the general hostility towards Japan that followed from the Mukden Incident and invasion of Manchuria.  Westerners, especially Americans, referred to him as Baron Nishi. He was also popular among Japanese Americans, who were ostracized by American society in this period.
  During his stay in Los Angeles, Nishi became the topic of conversation both for his love of driving convertibles around town and for becoming part of the social circle led by movie legend Charlie Chaplin, movie star couple Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.  
  After the Olympics, he was reassigned to the 16th Narashino Cavalry Regiment and promoted to be a cavalry instructor at the regimental school with the rank of captain, which he was promoted to in August 1933.
  Nishi and Uranus participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany but Nishi fell off his horse mid-course.  There is speculation this was intentional and done for the benefit of host country Nazi Germany, with whom Japan would sign the 1940 Tripartite Pact, forming the Axis Powers.  The 1936 Show Jumping individual event gold medal was won by Germany.  Following this, Nishi was reposted to the Tokachi Subdivision of the department responsible for supply of military horses. He was promoted to major in March 1939.
caption: Takeichi Nishi with Uranus at the 1932 Summer Games
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