- Tommy Kono
Tamio "Tommy" Kono (born
June 27 ,1930 ) was a U.S. weightlifter in the 1950s and 1960s. Kono is the only lifter to have set world records in four different weightlifting classescite web | title=HickokSports.com Sports Biographies: Kono, "Tommy"|url=http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/konotommy.shtml| accessdate=2007-10-12] : lightweight (148 pounds or 67 kilograms), middleweight (165 lb or 75 kg), light-heavyweight (181 lb or 82 kg), and middle-heavyweight (198 lb or 90 kg). He won a Gold Medal at both the 1952 and 1956Olympic Games , and a Silver Medal at the 1960 Olympics. He was world champion from 1953 - 1959 and set 27 world records. He was the Pan-Am Games champion in 1955, 1959, and 1963. In 1976, he coached the United States' Olympic weightlifting team in the Montreal Games. In 1993 he was elected to theInternational Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame. [cite web|title=Weightlifting Hall of Fame|publisher=International Weightlifting Federation|url=http://www.iwf.net/iwf/organization/members.php|accessdate=2008-08-07] He was also a successful Bodybuilder, winning theMr. Universe title in 1955 and 1957.Of Japanese descent, Kono was born in
Sacramento, California , onJune 27 ,1930 . Kono's family was relocated toTule Lake internment camp duringWorld War II . Tule lake camp was in a very isolated area in the desert in northern California. Sickly as a child the desert air helped Kono's asthma. It was during the relocation that Kono was introduced by neighbors toweight training . After 3 1/2 years they were released and he finished high school at Sacramento High. In the 1970s he moved to Hawaii, where he has lived ever since. On his home visits he holds workshops in weightlifting.References
External links
* [http://www.chidlovski.net/liftup/l_galleryResult.asp?a_id=274 Tommy Kono, Hall of Fame at Lift Up]
* [http://www.weightliftingexchange.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=39&topic=1740.0 Tommy Kono - Hall of Fame at Weightlifting Exchange]
* [http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_svinth_0100.htm "Physical Training" article]
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