Between these men, you are looking at 36 medals in international competition and 50 worlds records. This is part 2 of a lecture on the proper way to perform the olympic lift called the snatch. Tommy kono, american weightlifter who won olympic and world championship medals in three different weight divisions. Apr 29, 2016 kono shared his life lessons in two books. Tommy kono lecture instruction on olympic lifting part 1. Kono was the only olympic weightlifter in history to have set world records in four different weight classes. And not only did weightlifting improve his health and strength, it introduced him to the world of body building.
In championship olympic weightlifting, 50% is mental, 30% technique and 20% power. In a nostalgic way, it elicits the type of authority that a similar but different text i had as kid growing up did. Championship weightlifting, beyond muscle power, the mental side of lifting tommy kono on. As an olympic lifter, his gold medals at the olympics and world championships. Poundforpound, tommy kono is probably the greatest lifter produced by the united states. Olympic weightlifting books archive crossfit discussion board.
Kono set more than two dozen world records in the sport, won gold medals in two olympics, and in 1992 was named by the iwf as the greatest weightlifter of all time. Two time olympic champion, three time pan american champion, six time world champion. This shot was most likely taken at or around the 1952 helsinki olympic games where all three of them took the gold medal in their respective weight classes. Here is part 1 of a lecture on the proper way to perform the weightlifting movement known as the snatch. Tommy kono, weightlifting champion raised in internment.
Tommy kono, the only olympic weightlifter to have set world records in four different weight classes, won gold in the 1952 olympics in helsinki, gold in the 1956 melbourne games, as well as silver in rome in 1960 but at the age of 12, kono and his family were removed from. This second book emphasizes how important the mental aspect has on olympic weightlifting. Tommy kono simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Tommy kono weightlifting technique lectures all things gym.
Compared to his first book, greg everetts newest book, olympic weightlifting for sports, is much less of a tome. Tommy kono, who took up weightlifting in an internment camp for japaneseamericans and went on to win two olympic gold medals for the united states, has died aged 85. The inspiring life of one of the greatest modern olympic athletes is captured in a public tv documentary set to be distributed nationally in august. Weightlifting, olympic style, 2001, tommy kono, 0970987102. Beforehand, i knew even less, but my father who bought me this book as a birthday present, tells me that kono was one of the heroes of his youth, and an inspiration for his forays in weightlifting. Ive always believed that mental attitude is what set tommy kono apart from other lifters. Olympic lifting aficionados and many others will love tommys book. Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display skip to content. Olympian was worth his weight in gold described as the greatest weightlifter in us history tommy kono won olympic gold at the 1952 games in helsinki and again in melbourne. Highlights of the weightlifting events at the helsinki 1952 olympic games as the usas tommy kono wins his third successive olympic weightlifting gold medal. Most everyone has this in the reverse order of importance and spend too many hours in hard physical training but hardly any time in grooming his or her mind for the sport. Jul 19, 2016 focusing on the clean and press, clean and jerk, and hang snatch events, kono rose to superstardom in the 1950s, winning gold medals in weightlifting at the 1952 and 1956 olympics and a silver in. His parents, who were of japanese descent, tried all sorts of methods to cure him, including traditional remedies, but nothing seemed to work. Tommy kono bio, stats, and results olympics at sports.
Tommy kono wins 3rd successive weightlifting gold helsinki. Tommy konos book on olympic weight training and competition is a terrific book. Ive always been a big believer in keeping things simple and specific for both coaches and athletes. While many olympic athletes can trace their path back to high school gyms or playgrounds, weightlifting legend tommy kono began his journey to the games in. Kono set world records in four different weight classes. Olympic weightlifting team, died on april 24, 2016, in honolulu, according to the honolulu staradvertiser. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading olympic weightlifting for sports. Sunday afternoon from complications of liver cirrhosis. Championship weightlifting, beyond muscle power, the mental. Nov 03, 2006 tommy kono, world and olympic weightlifting champion and coach in three olympic games. Dec 04, 2015 while many olympic athletes can trace their path back to high school gyms or playgrounds, weightlifting legend tommy kono began his journey to the games in a most unlikely setting a world war.
Kono won his first olympic gold medal at the helsinki games in 1952. Olympic weightlifting for sports is another outstanding book by greg everett that breaks down everything you need to know about the specifics of olympic weightlifting. Weightlifting, olympic style by tommy kono goodreads. Kono later became a coach of olympic weightlifting teams for three different countries, including the u. Kono stated that back in 1952 when he was training for the olympics kono won the lightweight gold medal that year, he would train three days a week on only four exercises, and equal or exceed world record totals during his training. One of the greatest weightlifters the world has ever seen started his career in an internment camp during world war ii.
Between 1953 and 1959 he was undefeated in world and olympic competition, adding six straight world titles to his two olympic gold medals. Tommy kono is a two time olympic champion, who holds 26 world records and seven olympic records. I really like the way greg breaks down the progressions for each movement. This is tommy kono at the 1956 olympic games in melbournethe first talk was held 7 march 2009 in columbus, ohio. Tommy kono s book on olympic weight training and competition is a terrific book. May 01, 2016 tommy kono, who began to lift weights while his japanese american family was held in a detention camp during world war ii, then went on to win two olympic gold medals and three titles as mr. Kono not only was an olympic champion, but he was also a body builder champion, who won three mr universe titles in 1955, 1957 and 1961. A threetime olympic medalist and pioneer in the sport, tommy kono was also a successful bodybuilder and coach in a career that spanned over sixty years. Tommy tamio kono, top olympic lifters of the 20th century. Kono is the only lifter to set world records in four different weight classes, and the only lifter to win olympic medals in three different weight classes. Championship weightlifting, beyond muscle power, the.
An excerpt the new book by legendary olympic weightlifting tommy kono, championship weightlifting. Focusing on the clean and press, clean and jerk, and hang snatch events, kono rose to superstardom in the 1950s, winning gold medals in weightlifting at the 1952 and 1956 olympics and a. Honolulu ap tommy kono, who took up weightlifting in an internment camp for japaneseamericans and went on to win two olympic gold medals for. Documentary on olympic champion weightlifter tommy kono. Tommy kono, eight times world champion, twice olympic champion, and coach in three olympic games.
Since shortly after its original release in 2008, olympic weightlifting. Tommy kono has won olympic gold medals, one silver, was eight times world champion, set 26 world records spread over 4 bodyweight classes. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books. Tamio tommy kono june 27, 1930 april 24, 2016 was an american weightlifter in the 1950s and 1960s. California governor arnold schwarzenegger and olympic weightlifting champion tommy kono visited the weight room at sacramento high school today as the governor showed his support for the upcoming tommy kono open weightlifting contest and, specifically, the olympicstyle weightlifting program that coach paul doherty has been running at the school. In your first book weightlifting olympic style in the section detailing your basic training for olympic lifting, on page 70 the very last sentence you wrote. This second book, championship weightlifting, covers the mental and. Tommy tamio kono, who won three olympic medals in weightlifting and became head coach of the u. Tommy kono won olympic medals in three different weight classes from 1952 to 1960. My first book, weightlifting, olympic style, is what i consider a textbook on the olympic lifts and it covers lifting technique to training programs and contest preparation with examples and stories related to actual performances. A year or so back, when i was given the honor and responsibility of participating in the selection of an allmillennium american weightlifting team, some of the choices were difficult, but a few were undisputable.
Tommy kono lecture instruction on olympic lifting part 2. His first book, weightlifting, olympic style, published in 2001, was a textbook on lifting technique and training. Kono later became a coach of olympic weightlifting teams for three different countries, including the. Tommy kono, weightlifting champion raised in internment camp. Jul 01, 20 highlights of the weightlifting events at the helsinki 1952 olympic games as the usas tommy kono wins his third successive olympic weightlifting gold medal. Official profile of olympic athlete tommy kono born 27 jun 1930, including games, medals, results, photos, videos and news. It is given by the great tommy kono at the 2005 arnold weightlifting weekend in columbus, oh. And to stock up on stylish team usa gear that you can wear all year round, visit the team usa shop. Kono s clinic will be held in bill kutzers olympic weightlifting gym at california state universitysacramento solano building, room 1020, and there will be parking in lot 1.
Olympic journey of american weightlifting legend kono began. Tommy kono was described as the greatest weightlifter in. Olympic lifting aficionados and many others will love tommy s book. The black book includes informations that are applicable regardless of your goal, bodybuilders. Kono admits to having an inferiority complex as a teenager, being so small and sickly. American tommy kono was a poorly child who suffered from asthma.
Olympic weightlifting for sports kindle edition by everett. Olympic and world champion and weightlifting coach in three olympic games, tommy kono reveals his knowledge and experiences to cut your time and effort to reach the top in the sport of olympic weightlifting. Kono and his parents were among the japanese americans interned at tule lake, california, during world war ii. Here are two lectures presentations by olympic weightlifting coach tommy kono talking about weightlifting technique from his 60 years of coaching experience. Bodybuilder and olympic weightlifter tommy kono, left, inspired a young arnold schwarzenegger. Kono had asthma as a child, but his health improved in the dry desert. It is a large format paper back, 272 pages, with many photos and great instruction on the olympic lifts.
According to khon2, a family member said kono passed away at 3. He has coached several other men into winning positions is the olympics as well as other weightlifting and bodybuilding events. Tommy kono has won olympic gold medals, one silver, was eight times world. Olympic and world champion and weightlifting coach in t. Tommy kono was a tremendously talented weightlifter who was a world and olympic champion for the united states back in the fifties. Weightlifting, olympic style, which covers lifting technique, training programs and contest preparation. Honolulu ap tommy kono, who took up weightlifting in an internment camp for japaneseamericans and went on to win two olympic gold medals for the united states, has died. Of historys four greatest lifters vasili alexeyev, john davis, naim suleymanoglu and kono only kono regularly shuffled between weight classes. Konos clinic will be held in bill kutzers olympic weightlifting gym at california state universitysacramento solano building, room 1020, and there will be parking in lot 1. Olympic weightlifting for sports by greg everett, paperback.
Tommy kono, the only olympic weightlifter to have set world records in four different weight classes, won gold in the 1952 olympics in helsinki, gold in the 1956 melbourne games, as well as silver in rome in 1960. Tommy kono olympic weightlifting united states of america. Evelyn tokue kawamotokono, a twotime olympic bronze medalist at the 1952 helsinki olympic games, passed away in hawaii on january 22, at the age of 83. I confess that, even after reading this book, i know very little of tommy kono.
Olympic journey of american weightlifting legend kono. Tommy kono, world and olympic weightlifting champion and coach in three olympic. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Olympic and world champion and weightlifting coach in three olympic games, tommy kono reveals his knowledge and experiences to cut your time and effort to reach the top in the sport of. He also set world records in four different weight classes, an amazing accomplishment by todays standards. Championship weightlifting seems to be intended as a companion or follow up piece to konos other book, beforehand, i knew even less, but my father who bought me this book as a birthday present, tells me that kono was one of the heroes of his youth, and an inspiration for his forays in weightlifting. He also won three consecutive gold medals at the pan american games, in 1955, 1959, and 1963. Besides winning world class olympic weightlifting competitions, he was also a physique champion, winning the mr. I find a change of course is necessary after six to eight weeks on a specific course.
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