ˌɔɪɐkˈɑːwɚ ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntᵻd ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts æt ðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti tˈuː sˈʌmɚɹ əlˈɪmpɪks ɪn hɛlsˈɪŋki, fˈɪnlənd, wˌɛɹ hiː wˈʌn ðə ɡˈoʊld mˈɛdəl ɪnðə wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪdmˈiːɾɚ bˈækstɹoʊk ᵻvˈɛnt.
Oyakawa represented the United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, where he won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke event.