Career, in brief
Sawao Kato was a three-time Olympian for Japan in men's artistic gymnastics, competing from 1968 through 1976. He won nine Olympic medals — five gold, three silver, and one bronze, including two Olympic all-around golds.
Japan · MAG · 1968 – 1976
Sawao Kato
Sawao Kato competed for Japan in men's artistic gymnastics, 1968–1976. Career medals: 5 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze.
9
career medals
across Olympic, World, and Continental finals.
Timeline
Career arc, year by year.
- 1976
- Olympic1976 Montreal OlympicssilverJul 18 → Aug 1P-Bars gold; AA silver
- 1972
- Olympic1972 Munich OlympicsgoldAug 26 → Sep 11H-Bar silver; P-Bars gold; Pommel silver; AA gold
- 1968
- Olympic1968 Mexico City OlympicsgoldFloor gold; Rings bronze; AA gold
Olympic — 3 appearances
1976 Montreal Olympics
Jul 18 → Aug 1 · Montreal
All-Around Qual 115.900 — 2nd, advanced Final 115.650 SILVER
Pommel Horse Qual 19.400 — 5th, advanced Final 19.400 — 5th 5th
Still Rings Qual 19.250 Final 19.125 — 6th 6th
Parallel Bars Qual 19.550 — 1st, advanced Final 19.675 GOLD
Horizontal Bar Qual 19.400 — did not advance 4th
Floor Exercise Qual 19.200 Final 19.250 — 5th 5th
Vault Qual 19.100
1972 Munich Olympics
Aug 26 → Sep 11 · Munich
All-Around Qual 115.100 — 1st, advanced Final 114.650 GOLD
Pommel Horse Qual 19.000 — 4th, advanced Final 19.000 SILVER
Still Rings Qual 19.100 Final 19.150 — 4th 4th
Parallel Bars Qual 19.350 — 1st, advanced Final 19.475 GOLD
Horizontal Bar Qual 19.550 — 2nd, advanced Final 19.525 SILVER
Floor Exercise Qual 19.100 — 1st, advanced Final 18.750 — 6th 6th
Vault Qual 19.000 — 2nd, advanced Final 18.550 — 4th 4th
1968 Mexico City Olympics
Mexico City
All-Around Final 115.900 GOLD
Still Rings Final 19.225 BRONZE
Floor Exercise Final 19.475 GOLD
On This Day
Oct 11, 1946 · Sawao Kato was born
Team affiliations
Keep exploring
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Japan · MAG · 1968 – 1976
Eizo Kenmotsu
Japan · MAG · 1968 – 1976
Mitsuo Tsukahara
Japan · MAG · 1952 – 1960
Masao Takemoto
Japan · MAG · 2019 – present
Daiki Hashimoto
Japan · MAG · 1984 – 1984
Koji Gushiken
Japan · MAG · 2024 – present
Shinnosuke Oka
Japan · MAG · 1960 – 1964
Shuji Tsurumi
Japan · MAG · 1960 – 1968
Yukio Endo
Japan · MAG · 2015 – present
Kazuma Kaya
Japan · MAG · 1972 – 1972
Shigeru Kasamatsu
Japan · MAG · 2004 – 2008
Hiroyuki Tomita
Japan · MAG · 2013 – 2018
Kenzo Shirai
Japan · MAG · 2012 – 2016
Koji Yamamuro
Japan · MAG · 1956 – 1956
Masami Kubota
Japan · MAG · 1956 – 1960
Nobuyuki Aihara
Japan · MAG · 2012 – 2016
Ryohei Kato
Japan · MAG · 1984 – 1984
Shinji Morisue
Japan · MAG · 1952 – 1952
Tadao Uesako
Japan · MAG · 2004 – 2008
Takehiro Kashima
Japan · MAG · 2017 – present
Wataru Tanigawa
Japan · MAG · 1988 – 1992
Yukio Iketani
Competing in the 1960s — men's artistic gymnastics
Soviet Union · MAG · 1972 – 1980
Nikolay Andrianov
Soviet Union · MAG · 1976 – 1981
Aleksandr Dityatin
Soviet Union · MAG · 1968 – 1972
Mikhail Voronin
Yugoslavia · MAG · 1960 – 1968
Miroslav Cerar
East Germany · MAG · 1976 – 1980
Roland Brückner
Soviet Union · MAG · 1968 – 1972
Viktor Klimenko
Soviet Union · MAG · 1964 – 1968
Viktor Lisitsky
East Germany · MAG · 1976 – 1981
Michael Nikolay
Hungary · MAG · 1972 – 1980
Zoltan Magyar
Romania · MAG · 1972 – 1980
Danut Grecu
West Germany · MAG · 1972 – 1976
Eberhard Gienger
France · MAG · 1972 – 1980
Henry Boerio
Japan · MAG · 1976 – 1976
Hiroshi Kajiyama
Czechoslovakia · MAG · 1976 – 1980
Jiri Tabak
East Germany · MAG · 1964 – 1972
Klaus Köste
Finland · MAG · 1964 – 1968
Olli Laiho
USA · MAG · 1976 – 1976
Peter Kormann
Soviet Union · MAG · 1964 – 1968
Sergey Diomidov
Japan · MAG · 1968 – 1968
Takeshi Kato
Soviet Union · MAG · 1976 – 1976
Vladimir Marchenko
Italy · MAG · 1972 – 1972
Adolfo Lampronti
Spain · MAG · 1972 – 1972
Agustín Sandoval
Soviet Union · MAG · 1972 – 1972
Aleksandr Maleev
Soviet Union · MAG · 1972 – 1972
Aleksandr Maleyev
Sources
Sources
olympics.com (Montreal 1976, Munich 1972) · olympedia.org (Montreal 1976, Munich 1972, Mexico City 1968)
Last verified 2026-05-26 · corrections welcome at hello@gleaminggymnast.com
Last verified 2026-05-26 · corrections welcome at hello@gleaminggymnast.com