Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Katona a Eger, Heves, Hungary. A lokacin da yake dan shekara 17, Katona ya wakilci kasarsa a gasar cin kofin duniya.
1958 Gasar Wasannin Ruwa ta Turai wanda aka gudanar a Budapest, Hungary. A cikin mita 1500 ya zo na biyu a bayan Ian Black don lashe lambar azurfa, kuma ya kuma lashe lambar tagulla ta tawagar a tseren mita 4 x 200 mai kyauta. Shekaru huɗu bayan haka a Leipzig a Gasar Wasannin Ruwa ta Turai ta 1962, Katona ta dawo gida tare da lambar zinare a tseren mita 1500 mai kyauta. A Wasannin Olympics na bazara na 1960 a Rome, Katona ya kai wasan karshe na mita 1500 na 'yanci inda ya gama a matsayi na 5, amma a cikin mita 400 na' yanci da 4 × 200 mita na 'yanci ya kasa cancanta daga zagaye na farko. Shekaru huɗu bayan haka a Wasannin Olympics na 1964 ya kasance iri ɗaya, ya kasa kaiwa wasan karshe a tseren mita 400 ko tseren mita 4 × 200, amma a tseren mita 1500 ya sami nasarar kammala na takwas a wasan karshe.