Sawao Kato
Encyclopedia
Sawao Kato is a Japan
ese gymnast
and one of the most successful athletes of all time at the Olympic Games
. In three Olympics, he gathered a total of twelve medals, including eight gold medals.
Kato, born in the Niigata prefecture
and a student of the Tokyo Kyoiku University
first competed in the Olympics at the 1968 Summer Olympics
in Mexico City
as a member of the Japanese team that dominated international gymnastics at the time. The Japanese team won the team competition with ease, with Kato as the top performer, winning the individual all-around as well. In addition, Kato won the gold medal in the floor exercise, and placed third in the rings
event.
Four years later, when the Games
were held in Munich
, Kato repeated his victory in the all-around competition. At the podium, he was accompanied by two countrymen, indicating the dominance of the Japanese team, which retained its team title with ease. Kato added a fifth Olympic title on the parallel bars, while settling for silver in the pommel horse
and horizontal bar
contests.
Kato tried for an unprecedented third gold medal in the all-around at the 1976 Summer Olympics
, but was defeated by Nikolai Andrianov of the Soviet Union
. The team competition was close this time, but the Japanese defeated the Soviets by four tenths of a point, earning their fifth consecutive title. Kato closed out his Olympic career by retaining his title in the parallel bars.
He is one of only ten athletes to have won eight or more Olympic gold medals. Kato is one of the most successful male gymnasts ever at the Olympics (his 8 gold medals and 12 overall medals are best rivalled by Nikolai Andrianov
's 7 gold and 15 overall, Boris Shakhlin
's 7 gold and 13 overall, and Takashi Ono
's 5 golds and 13 overall). Also, he has won more Olympic gold medals than any other male gymnast and more Olympic gold medals than any Japanese Olympian (no other Japanese Olympian has won more than 6). Kato is only one medal short of having the most medals of any Japanese Olympian (his 12 medals vs Ono's 13). Kato was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
in 2001.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, Kato became involved in a controversy in the men's team competition
when he disagreed as the head judge with a routine on the horizontal bar
that American
gymnast Brett McClure was performing. This led McClure to perform a different routine, which caused him to do poorly, leading the United States
to a silver medal in the event.
Today, Kato is a professor at the University of Tsukuba
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese gymnast
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and one of the most successful athletes of all time at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. In three Olympics, he gathered a total of twelve medals, including eight gold medals.
Kato, born in the Niigata prefecture
Niigata Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...
and a student of the Tokyo Kyoiku University
University of Tsukuba
is located in the city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture in the Kantō region of Japan. The University has 28 college clusters and schools with a total of around 15,000 students...
first competed in the Olympics at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
as a member of the Japanese team that dominated international gymnastics at the time. The Japanese team won the team competition with ease, with Kato as the top performer, winning the individual all-around as well. In addition, Kato won the gold medal in the floor exercise, and placed third in the rings
Rings (gymnastics)
The rings, also known as still rings , is an artistic gymnastics apparatus and the event that uses it. It is traditionally used only by male gymnasts, due to its extreme upper-body strength requirements...
event.
Four years later, when the Games
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
were held in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Kato repeated his victory in the all-around competition. At the podium, he was accompanied by two countrymen, indicating the dominance of the Japanese team, which retained its team title with ease. Kato added a fifth Olympic title on the parallel bars, while settling for silver in the pommel horse
Pommel horse
The pommel horse is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. Traditionally, it is used by only male gymnasts. Originally made of a metal frame with a wooden body and a leather cover, modern pommel horses have a metal body covered with foam rubber and leather, with plastic handles .- History :The pommel...
and horizontal bar
Horizontal bar
The high bar, also known as the horizontal bar, is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in Artistic Gymnastics. It traditionally consists of a cylindrical metal bar that is rigidly held above and parallel to the floor by a system of cables and stiff vertical supports. Gymnasts typically wear leather...
contests.
Kato tried for an unprecedented third gold medal in the all-around at the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
, but was defeated by Nikolai Andrianov of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The team competition was close this time, but the Japanese defeated the Soviets by four tenths of a point, earning their fifth consecutive title. Kato closed out his Olympic career by retaining his title in the parallel bars.
He is one of only ten athletes to have won eight or more Olympic gold medals. Kato is one of the most successful male gymnasts ever at the Olympics (his 8 gold medals and 12 overall medals are best rivalled by Nikolai Andrianov
Nikolai Andrianov
Nikolai Yefimovich Andrianov was a Soviet/Russian gymnast. He held the record for men for the most Olympic medals at 15 until Michael Phelps surpassed him at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics...
's 7 gold and 15 overall, Boris Shakhlin
Boris Shakhlin
Boris Anfiyanovich Shakhlin was a Soviet gymnast who was the 1960 Olympic all-around champion and the 1958 all-around World Champion. He won total of 13 medals including seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics, and was the most successful athlete at the 1960 Summer Olympics...
's 7 gold and 13 overall, and Takashi Ono
Takashi Ono
is a Japanese gymnast who won five gold medals at the Olympic Games.Competing in four Summer Olympics, he took the Olympic Oath at Tokyo in 1964.Ono was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1998....
's 5 golds and 13 overall). Also, he has won more Olympic gold medals than any other male gymnast and more Olympic gold medals than any Japanese Olympian (no other Japanese Olympian has won more than 6). Kato is only one medal short of having the most medals of any Japanese Olympian (his 12 medals vs Ono's 13). Kato was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, located in Oklahoma City, USA, is a hall of fame dedicated to honoring the achievements and contributions of the world's greatest competitors, coaches and authorities in artistic gymnastics....
in 2001.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Kato became involved in a controversy in the men's team competition
Gymnastics at the 2004 Summer Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, three disciplines of gymnastics were contested: artistic gymnastics , rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline...
when he disagreed as the head judge with a routine on the horizontal bar
Horizontal bar
The high bar, also known as the horizontal bar, is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in Artistic Gymnastics. It traditionally consists of a cylindrical metal bar that is rigidly held above and parallel to the floor by a system of cables and stiff vertical supports. Gymnasts typically wear leather...
that American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gymnast Brett McClure was performing. This led McClure to perform a different routine, which caused him to do poorly, leading the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to a silver medal in the event.
Today, Kato is a professor at the University of Tsukuba
University of Tsukuba
is located in the city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture in the Kantō region of Japan. The University has 28 college clusters and schools with a total of around 15,000 students...
.