Naoto Tajima

{{Short description|Japanese athlete (1912–1990)}}

{{Eastern name order|Tajima Naoto}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Naoto Tajima

| image = Naoto Tajima 01.jpg

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| caption = Tajima in 1956

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| birth_date = August 15, 1912

| birth_place = Osaka Prefecture, Japan

| death_date = December 4, 1990 (aged 78)

| death_place = Tokyo, Japan

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| height = {{convert|1.71|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|62|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

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| sport = Athletics

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| event = Long jump, triple jump

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| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{JPN}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalGold|1936 Berlin|Triple jump}}

{{MedalBronze|1936 Berlin|Long jump}}

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{{nihongo|Naoto Tajima|田島 直人|Tajima Naoto| extra=August 15, 1912 – December 4, 1990}} was a Japanese athlete who competed at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. In 1932 he finished sixth in the long jump, while in 1936 he finished third in the long jump, behind Jesse Owens and Luz Long,[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417091507/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ta/naoto-tajima-1.html Naoto Tajima]. sports-reference.com and won the triple jump event, setting a world record at 16.00 m.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417174822/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1936/ATH/mens-triple-jump.html Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's Triple Jump]. sports-reference.com This record stood until 1951, when Adhemar da Silva improved it by one centimeter.

Raised in Iwakuni, Tajima graduated in economics from Kyoto Imperial University just prior to competing in the Olympics. His gold medal was Japan's last Olympic track and field gold medal until Naoko Takahashi won the women's marathon at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Tajima retired from competitive athletics in 1938 but maintained an administrative role as managing director of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. He was also a member of the Japanese Olympic Committee, coached the Japanese athletics teams at the 1956 and 1964 Olympics, and worked as a lecturer at Chukyo University.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417091507/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ta/naoto-tajima-1.html Naoto Tajima at Sports Reference]