Tommy Kono is well known, but to say that he is the weightlifter of the century or whatnot is just not true.
I like Onlyme but he's wrong on that one.
Okay, the guys mentioned are all awesome. My statement was bodybuilder and weightlifting. Not just weightlifting. Tommy was awesome in BOTH which is a whole harder than just one. His accomplishments are not to shabby either.
Here are some of his acheivements. By the way they are in multiple weight classes
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/11/tommy-kono.htmlTITLES - WEIGHTLIFTING
1952 Olympic Lightweight Champion Helsinki, Finland
1953 World Middleweight Champion Stockholm, Sweden
1954 World Light-Heavyweight Champion Vienna, Austria
1955 World Light-Heavyweight Champion Munich, Germany
1956 Olympic Light-Heavyweight Champion Melbourne, Germany
1957 World Middleweight Champion Teheran, Iran
1958 World Middleweight Champion Stockholm, Sweden
1959 World Middleweight Champion Warsaw, Poland
1955 Pan American Games Light- Heavyweight Champion Mexico City, Mexico
1959 Pan American Games Middleweight Champion Chicago, Illinois
1963 Pan American Games Light-Heavyweight Champion Sao Paulo, Brazil
TITLE - PHYSIQUE
1954 "Mr. World" Roubaix, France
1955 "Mr. Universe" Munich, Germany
1957 "Mr. Universe" Teheran, Iran
1961 "Mr. Universe" Vienna, Austria
INTERNATIONAL RECORDS ESTABLISHED
26 World Record
7 Olympic Records
8 Pan American Games Records
PROFESINAL ACHIEVMENT AND HONORS
National & Olympic Coach for Mexico
National & Olympic Coach For Western Germany
Olympic Coach for U.S.A.
I.W.F. International Coach Title
International Referee - Category 1
U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
One Hundred Golden Olympians
INTERNATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION HONORS
International Weightlifting Hall of Fame
I.W.F 25 Year Service Award
Most Successful Weightlifter
-Olympic & World for 8 consecutive years
-World & Olympic Titles in 3 Different bodyweight classes
-Established World Records in 4 different bodyweight classes
I.W.F. LIFTER OF THE CENTURY AWARD
Tommy Kono
WeightlifterTommy Kono, a Sacramento native and Sacramento High School graduate, is considered by many to be the greatest weightlifter in history. He won gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Olympics and a silver medal at the 1960 Games in Rome. Kono set 26 world records during his storied career and was the only weightlifter to set world records in four weight classes, a feat that never has been equaled. Kono later turned to bodybuilding, where he won three Mr. Universe titles and one Mr. World crown. After retiring from bodybuilding, he returned to weightlifting to become one of the most respected coaches in the world. Kono is a member of the International Weightlifting and Olympic halls of fame and was named by the International Weightlifting Federation the Lifter of the Century. At 77, he is retired and living in Hawaii.