Takanori Kono
# Takanori Kono

Takanori Kono (河野 孝典, Kōno Takanori) (born March 7, 1969) is a former Japanese nordic combined skier who competed during the 1990s, winning at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the Winter Olympics, and the Holmenkollen ski festival.

Kono won three medals at the Winter Olympics, including two golds (3 x 10 km team: 1992, 1994) and a silver (15 km individual: 1994). He also won two gold medals in the team event at the world championships (3 x 10 km: 1993, 4 x 5 km: 1995).

Kono also won the Nordic combined event at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 1993, becoming the first Asian to win at the prestigious event.

Kono was Deputy Vice Mayor of the Athletes Village at the 1998 Winter Olympics.

He is now coach for the Japanese Nordic combined team, a role he has had since 2006.

