OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING:
THE SPORTS PALACE
In 1968 Jim Schmitz became a co-owner of Alex’s Sports Palace Gym in San Francisco. The gym was a hardcore, free weight facility, It had two lifting platforms.In 1972 Schmitz was able to buy out his partners, and he moved the gym. He also shortened the name of the gym to simply the Sports Palace. Ten years later his team won the national championships, defeating the York Barbell Club, which had won the championships for 29 years in a row and had sponsored athletes who didn’t train in York.
SPORTS PALACE WEIGHTLIFTING TEAM has won the US National Team Championships in 1982, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, and 1989. He has coached the following US National Champions, Record Holders, and Olympians:
Ken Patera, 110+, 1972,
Dan Cantore, 67.5, 1972-77
Bruce Wilhelm, 110+, 1974-78
Tom Hirtz, 82.5, 1979-83
Jim “Butch”Curry, 90,1978-86
Tom Stock, 110+, 1978-80
Mario Martinez, 110+, 1977
