Tommy Kono Jerks Classic Globe Barbell

Tommy Kono and Classic Globe Barbell
Tommy Kono was one of the United States' greatest Olympic weightlifters and overall strength athletes.

He not only won two Gold Medals and a Silver over the course of three Olympic games, he also won the Mr. Universe title in Bodybuilding several times.

I'll cover that in more detail on another occasion.

Check out this classic shot from the early 1950's where Tommy Kono narrowly misses completing a jerk with this huge 374 pound globe barbell at Robert Cayeaux's gym in Lille, France. -- Kono had the barbell at arm's length but couldn't quite hold it.

(N.B. This was the same gym where Norb Schemansky lifted the famous Apollon Wheels in 1954.)

...I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that Charles Rigoulot lifted with the very same globe barbell. - Rigoulot favored globe barbells long after they went out of style.

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