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.
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.