Suzuko Seki

{{short description|Japanese gymnast}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Suzuko Shintani

| native_name = 新谷 鈴子

| birth_name = Suzuko Seki (関 鈴子)

| image =

| caption =

| nationality = Japanese

| sport = Gymnastics

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1936|2|18|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = Northwestern State University

}}

{{Nihongo|Suzuko Shintani|新谷 鈴子|Shintani Suzuko|born 18 February 1936}}, nee {{Nihongo|Suzuko Seki|関 鈴子|Seki Suzuko}}, is a Japanese gymnast.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/28789 |title=Suzuko Seki |work=Olympedia |accessdate=20 September 2020}} She competed in seven events at the 1956 Summer Olympics,{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/se/suzuko-seki-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417211853/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/se/suzuko-seki-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Suzuko Seki Olympic Results |accessdate=28 July 2019}} and wrote an article entitled Deep Emotions from the Hinomaru, describing her thoughts on Japanese identity represented by the waving of Japanese flags at the Olympics just a few short years after the end of the Second World War.{{Cite book|last=Kietlinski|first=Robin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=auWdoYyvRNkC&q=Suzuko+Seki&pg=PT88|title=Japanese Women and Sport: Beyond Baseball and Sumo|date=1 December 2011|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-1-84966-668-8|language=en}}

Shintani was due to participate in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome for the Japanese contingent, but was prevented from doing so by a herniated disc that caused paralysis in her right leg. Instead, she went on to study in the United States, graduating with a master's degree from Northwestern State University.

In 1962, Shintani worked as an assistant to gymnast Joanne Giannini (nee Pasquale).{{Cite web|title=/ccpa/|url=https://archive.triblive.com/ccpa/?page=/news/local-woman-has-global-gymnastics-reputation/|website=TribLIVE.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-20}} In 1970, she published a book entitled the Basics of Women's Gymnastics (女子体操競技の基礎).{{Cite web|title=女子体操競技の基礎|url=https://www-lib.shinshu-u.ac.jp/opc/recordID/catalog.bib/BN0464310X|last=関鈴子著|website=信州大学附属図書館OPAC|access-date=2020-05-20}}