Katsutoshi Naito
| Katsutoshi Naito | |
|---|---|
| Born |
25 February 1895 Hongawa, Japan |
| Died | 27 September 1969 (aged 74) |
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Freestyle wrestling | ||
Representing  Japan
|
||
 |
1924 Paris | featherweight |
Katsutoshi Naito (内藤克俊 Naito Katsutoshi) was a Japanese wrestler who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
A native of the city of Hiroshima, Naito lost both of his parents at a young age, and was sent to be raised by his married elder sister living in Taiwan. He attended what later became the Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School, followed by Kagoshima University. He then travelled to the United States, where he attended Pennsylvania State University, majoring in horticulture. Proficient in Kodokan judo, Naito joined the university’s wrestling team, and soon became its captain, with the nickname of “Tiger Naito”. However, this was a time of growing anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States, and for his own protection, Naito was asked to board with the rector of the university. With the passage of the Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the Asian Exclusion Act, it became impossible for Naito to represent the team in international competitions. The provost of Pennsylvania State University contacted the Japanese ambassador in Washington DC, and recommended Naito for inclusion into the Japanese team for the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
At the time, wrestling was largely neglected as a sport in Japan due to the popularity of Judo, and the inclusion of Naito into the Japanese team was made mostly for political reasons. Despite injuring his fingers in practice aboard the ship from the United States to France, Naito placed third in the freestyle wrestling competition, securing the bronze medal. It was also the only medal that the Japanese team won during the Olympics.
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