Tag: Olympic Weightlifting History

The 1936 U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team

Posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 by John Wood

The 1936 US Olympic Weightlifting Team

A look at the U.S. weightlifting team, taken in the Olympic village in Berlin, Germany during the 1936 Olympics. From left to right: Mark Berry, Dave Mayor, Bill Good, John Grimek, Stan Kratkowski, Joe Miller, John Terpak, Walter Good, Bob Mitchell, Tony Terlazzo, John Terry and Dietrich Wortmann. Terlazzo won the Featherweight class with a 312.5 kg total to become America’s first ever weightlifting gold medal winner.

Alexeev’s Unusual Training

Posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2014 by John Wood
The Russian Champion Vasily Alexeev is one of the greatest weightlifters who ever lived. One of Alexeev’s most unusual training techniques was to practice his cleans in waist-deep water. This famous shot was taken of Alexeev as he trained in the Don River in Mother Russia. Unconventional… but certainly effective: Alexeev set the first of his 80 world records in 1970 and was undefeated for the remainder of his career which also included two Olympic Gold medal winning performances (1972, Munich and 1976, Montreal).

Anton Gietl

Posted on Tuesday, March 18th, 2014 by John Wood

Anton Gietl was a German weightlifter who won the Gold in the 1937 German championships and, later that year, the Bronze medal at the World Weightlifting Championship in the light heavyweight class. Gietl placed in the top five of the German weightlifting championships eight times in 1929 through 1949 ~ a pretty impressive feat in itself. Gietl’s specialty was the one-arm snatch, setting a world mark with 90 kg in 1933 (notably with his left arm.)

Ike Berger’s Press

Posted on Thursday, March 6th, 2014 by John Wood

October 27, 1956 was the date, and the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California was the place for the final Olympic tryouts, and the excellent lift shown above by Ike Berger. This was his second attempt, a press with 230 lbs. Ike was a featherweight but this lift would be impressive for a heavyweight these days, especially in that style.

A month later, Ike went on to win the gold medal at the 1956 Olympic games in Melbourne, Australia. The Olympic finals were sponsored by Ray Van Cleef’s Gateway to Health gym, and a good time was had by all.

Aleksandr Bukharov

Posted on Friday, February 28th, 2014 by John Wood

Aleksandr Bukharov

The Soviet Union has a long history of weightlifting champions and one of the men at the very beginning was Aleksandr Bukharov, shown above snatching a globe barbell. Bukharov was a 7-time Russian lifting champion from 1918-1926, setting 24 USSR records in the process in the featherweight class. Bukharov was the very first weightlifting “Master of Sport” and the 15th Master of Sport ever awarded.

The fellow to the right was also a noted lifter Jan Sparre, the 11-time USSR champion between the years of 1918-1934.

Weightlifting at the 1906 Olympics

Posted on Sunday, February 16th, 2014 by John Wood

A rare look at the “two arm lift” event at the 1906 Olympics. Silver medal winner Josef Steinbach of Austria is shown here lifting while the eventual winner Demetrious Tofalos of Greece, looks on. Steinbach took gold in the single-arm lifting event later on. As a point of interest, the 1906 Olympics is now referred to as the “Intercalated Games.”

Luigi Monticelli Obizzi

Posted on Sunday, February 9th, 2014 by John Wood

Luigi Monticelli Obizzi

Luigi Monticelli Obizzi, an Italian Marquis, led a very active childhood involved in gymnastics, swimming, fencing and rowing, but did not take up weightlifting until 20 years old.

He found that he was quite adept at it, so much so that in 1890, Obizzi founded the Milan Athletic Club and was instrumental in spreading weightlifting and physical training throughout Europe. At the Italian Weightlifting Championship, he finished 3rd, in 1897, 3rd in 1900 and 2nd in 1901 and 1902.
Working closely with Professor Desbonnet, Obizzi, helped establish the first Weightlifting Championship of France in 1901 (which he also helped judge.) It was under Obizzi’s suggestion that weightlifting contests adopted weight classes, a feature that continues to this day.

Obizzi weighed only 160 pounds but was quite strong, one of his best lifts was a military press of 200 pounds AND he also had a truly excellent mustache.

Wally Zagurski Lifts The Cyr Dumbbell

Posted on Friday, November 8th, 2013 by John Wood

Wally Zagurski Lifts The Cyr Dumbbell

Wally Zagurski, an original member of the York Barbell Club by way of St. Charles, Missouri, was one of the few men who could bent press the famous 202 lb.Louis Cyr Dumbbell – and many certainly tried. Zagurski was also a great weightlifter and competed in the 1932 Olympics. The Cyr Bell can still be seen at the York Barbell Hall of Fame.

Phil Caira

Posted on Thursday, September 19th, 2013 by John Wood
Phil Caira was one of Scotland’s greatest weightlifters. Here he is with a 265 lb. snatch at the 1958 Commonwealth Games, where he took first in the light-heavyweight class, coincidentally. Caira was know for his extremely “low” style. Caira also won the light-heavy class at the 1962 Commonwealth Games as well.

Professor Desbonnet

Posted on Thursday, September 19th, 2013 by John Wood

Professor Edmond Desbonnet is often called “The Father of Modern Weightlifting” — and for good reason, there are a lot of “firsts” associated with his name. A few good examples: he was the first to compile a records table of great performances, the first to introduce referees into a weightlifting competition and the first to codify the press, snatch and jerk into competitive lifts.

Desbonnet opened several schools of physical training (including in 1900, the Halterophile Club de France) and wrote a number of incredible books and courses dealing with strength training and early physical culture. All of his books are detailed and extremely rare. His two most famous titles are Les Rois de la Lutte (The Kings of Wrestling) and Les Rois de la Force (The Kings of Strength).