Michael Lee SWAIN

In 1987 Mike Swain became the first judoka from the Western Hemisphere to win a World Championship. He added World silver medals in 1985 and 1989. Swain competed as a lightweight at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1988. He also won gold at the 1987 Pan American Games and a bronze at the 1983 Pan Ams. Swain coached the US judokas for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

In 1987 Swain started Swain Sports, which became a multi-million dollar international martial arts equipment business. In 2008 he sold the company to Dollamur and later served as vice-president for them for Global Martial Arts. Swain’s wife Tânia Ishii represented Brazil in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and his father-in-law Chiaki Ishii won a bronze medal for Brazil in the 1972 München Olympics.