Taihei Kato

Who is Taihei Kato?

Taihei Kato is a Japanese Nordic combined skier who has been competing since 2003. He won a gold medal in the 4 x 5 km team event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec and earned his best individual finish of 27th twice.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Kato finished sixth in the 4 x 5 km team, 24th in the individual normal hill, and 30th in the individual large hill events.

Kato suffered a broken left arm after a fall while competing in the Nordic combined event during the Sochi Winter Olympic Games. After a seemingly successfully jump on the large hill, Kato's left ski came loose seconds after he landed, causing him to fall at high speed, sustaining the injury in the process. He was unable to continue in the competition, which would include a 10km cross-country ski race.

His best World Cup finish was eighth in a 10 km individual normal hill event in France in February 2009. His best overall finish was second in the 7.5 km sprint at a World Cup B event in Finland in 2006.