Tag: Stan Stanczyk

1949 AAU Mr. America Results

Posted on Tuesday, December 4th, 2018 by John Wood
A look at Jack Dellinger, newly minted AAU Mr. America on the cover of the June/July 1949 issue of Strength & Health Magazine. The overall placings of the 1949 Mr. America contest were as follows:

1.Jack Delinger
2. Melvin Wells
3. Bill Melby
4. Harry Smith
5. Valerio Pasqua
6. Jim Krznarich
6. Stan Stanczyk
6. Kimon Voyages
9. Everett Sinderoff
10. Joe Shaw

Jack Delinger won the overall title although Melvin Wells won the “Most Muscular” Sub-division.

Giving Bob Hoffman a Lift

Posted on Thursday, November 29th, 2018 by John Wood
Sometimes Bob Hoffman had to call up the York Gang when he needed a lift… That’s Steve Stanko on the right and Stan Stanczyk on the left lifting an “MG” with Bob Hoffman sitting in the driver’s seat to give it a little more weight.

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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Author: John Wood. All contents, including images and text, copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc. Not to be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. We will most likely grant permission but please contact us if you would like to repost. IMPORTANT: Equipment and books, courses etc. pictured in blog posts are generally not available for sale unless specifically noted.

Harold Sakata

Posted on Friday, November 10th, 2017 by John Wood
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 (above) 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.

The 1946 U.S. World Weightlifting Team

Posted on Wednesday, September 21st, 2016 by John Wood

A look at most of the 1946 U.S. World Weightlifting Team left to right: John Davis, Emerick Ishikawa, Frank Spellman, John Terpak, Stan Stanczyk, and coach Bob Hoffman. (not pictured: Frank Kay.)

This was the first team to lift against the Russians. Davis and Stanczyk both won Gold, Terpak and Kay took Silver and Spellman took Bronze. The Russians entered ten lifters to only six from the US but the US came back with the team championship.

Stan Stanczyk’s Other Hobby

Posted on Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 by John Wood

After winning six Senior National titles, an Olympic gold medal and setting eight Word records, Stan Stanczyk retired from weightlifting and moved to Miami, FLorida where he opened a bowling alley. Unsurprisingly, Stanczyk was as meticulous with his bowling as he was with his weightlifting and kept track of every game he ever bowled (he had a lifetime average of 190!)
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Author: John Wood. All contents, including images and text, copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc. Not to be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. We will most likely grant permission but please contact us if you would like to repost. IMPORTANT: Equipment and books, courses etc. pictured in blog posts are generally not available for sale unless specifically noted.

Stan Stanczyk

Posted on Wednesday, July 10th, 2013 by John Wood

Stan Stanczyk

The great Olympic weightlifter Stan Stanczyk was the first man to win three successive World titles in three different weight classes. Lifting for the York Barbell Club, he won five in all. He also won six Senior National titles, a Gold Medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England, a Gold at the 1951 Pan-American Games and a Silver Medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

Stanczyk set eight word records during his lifting career. He was also a fairly good bodybuilder, placing very respectably in the few contests he entered.

1947 World’s Weight Lifting Championships Official Program

Posted on Tuesday, July 17th, 2012 by John Wood
A look at the Official Program for the 1947 World’s Weight Lifting Championships held at the Municipal Auditorium in Philadelphia, PA.  Pictured are members of the 1946 US team consisting of Stanley Stanczyk, Frank Spellman, John Terpak, Emerick Ishikawa, Bob Hoffman and Frank Kay (Not pictured: John Davis).

At the Championships, which were held on September 26 and 27th, 1947, the US team ran the table, taking the Gold Medal in every single weight class and winning 10 medals overall.