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2.24.2007

richard tom, first asian american olympic medalist

Richard Tom, who was the first Asian American to win an Olympic medal, died this week at his home in Hawaii. He was 86: First Asian-American Olympic medalist dies. Competing as a bantamweight in weightlifting for the United States, Tom won the bronze medal in the 1948 Games in London. Odd fact: his teammate was Harold Sakata, who went on to play "Odd Job" in the 1964 James Bond movie Goldfinger.