Joji Kato

Infobox Speed Skater
name = Joji Kato (加藤条治)


caption = Joji Kato at a 2006 World Cup in Thialf (Heerenveen, The Netherlands)
country = JPN
birth_date = birth date and age|1985|2|6
birth_place = Yamagata, Yamagata
death_date =
death_place =
height = height|m=1.65
weight = convert|61|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
pb =
website =
titles=no
worldcup = nihongo|Joji Kato|加藤条治|Katō Jōji (born February 6, 1985 in Yamagata) is a Japanese speedskater specialised in the sprinting distance 500 metres. At the age of 17 he became the first junior speedskater to skate the 500 metres below 35 seconds.

Until march 9th 2007 he was the world record holder with the 34.30 he skated in Salt Lake City on November 19, 2005. He lost the worldrecord to Kang-Seok Lee, who skated 34,25 in Salt Lake City.

At the age of 20, he became the 500 metres World Champion at the 2005 World Single Distance Championships, leaving behind no less skaters then Hiroyasu Shimizu and Jeremy Wotherspoon. After this achievement he was considered to be one of the favourites of achieving a medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

Prior to the 500m race, he named three skaters as his toughest competition: Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada, Joey Cheek of the United States, and Dmitry Dorofeyev of Russia. Cheek and Dorofeyev won gold and silver, respectively, while Kato finished in sixth place. He was also beaten by his own countryman, Yuya Oikawa, who was fourth.

External links

* [http://www.fotos.desg.de/athletes.php?showAthletes=all&id=320 Photos of Joji Kato]
* [http://www.nbcolympics.com/speedskating_m_500/5094578/detail.html Kato names three threats for gold]