Tommy Kono

Olympic medal record
Competitor for United States
Men's Weightlifting
Gold	1952 Helsinki	-67.5 kg
Gold	1956 Melbourne	-82.5 kg
Silver	1960 Rome	-75 kg

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 classes: lightweight (149 pounds or 67.5 kilograms), middleweight (165 lb or 75 kg), light-heavyweight (182 lb or 82.5 kg), and middle-heavyweight (198 lb or 90 kg).

He won a Gold Medal at both the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games, and a Silver Medal at the 1960 Olympics. He was world champion from 1953 to 1959 and set 21 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.

He was also a successful Bodybuilder, winning the Mr. Universe title in 1955 and 1957.

Of Japanese descent, Kono was born in Sacramento, California, on June 27, 1930. Kono's family was relocated to Tule Lake internment camp during World 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 to weight lifting by neighbors including the late Noboru "Dave" Shimoda a member of the Tule Lake weight lifting and bodybuilding club, brother of actor Yuki Shimoda and his friends, Gotoh, Toda, and Bob Nakanishi. After 3½ years they were released and Kono 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.

In 1993 he was elected to the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame.

External links

• Tommy Kono, Hall of Fame at Lift Up
• Svinth, Joseph R. (2000). "Tommy Kono". Physical Training. http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_svinth_0100.htm.