Tuesday, June 02, 2009

  • The 1947 U.S. World Weightlifting Team


    • The 1947 U.S. World Weightlifting Team:

    Back Row: John Davis, Norb Schemansky, Stan Stanczyk and Harold Sakata.

    Center Row: Tony Terlazzo, Frank Spellman, Pete george and John Terpak

    Front row: Emerick Ishikawa, Bobby Higgins, Joe DiPietro and Richard Tom

    The 1947 World Weightlifting Championships were held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and were the first such competition ever held on U.S. soil. This team of American lifters scored 27-3 victory over everyone else and equalled or exceeded 12 World records. This event was also held in conjunction with the very first Mr. Universe contest where Steve Stanko took home the crown.

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    Posted by John Wood @ Tuesday, June 02, 2009

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    Sunday, February 15, 2009

  • Harold Sakata


    • You might recognize him by his most famous movie role as the villain 'Odd Job' in the James Bond movie 'Gold Finger" , but Harold Sakata was also a great Olympic weightlifter, sometimes-bodybuilder and professional wrestler.

    Sakata got his start reading Strength and Health Magazine and, as a teenager, won many local lifting contests on his native Hawaii. After a stint in the Army, Sakata had a chance to focus on his training and he set a Hawaiian record in the clean and jerk as well as won the Mr. Hawaii bodybuilding title.

    His weightlifting totals were such that he was able to compete in the Senior Nationals, where he finished second to Stan Stanczyk at the 1948 Senior Nationals. His finish at the Nationals qualified him for a spot at the 1948 Summer Olympics where he finished second, winning the Silver Medal, again, to the eventual champion Stanczyk. The two would go on to become lifelong friends.

    After his weightlifting career, Sakata traveled the country as the pro-wrestler Tosh Togo.

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    Posted by John Wood @ Sunday, February 15, 2009

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    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

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