Tommy Kono
Encyclopedia
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
.
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
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, 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
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
, winning the Mr. Universe
Universe Championships
The Universe Championships are an annual bodybuilding event organised by the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association . It has a number of competitions: NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe, Miss Figure, and Miss Toned Figure....
title in 1955 and 1957.
Of Japanese descent, Kono was born in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, on June 27, 1930. Kono's family was relocated
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
to Tule Lake internment camp
Tule Lake War Relocation Center
Tule Lake Segregation Center National Monument was an internment camp in the northern California town of Newell near Tule Lake. It was used in the Japanese American internment during World War II. It was the largest and most controversial of the camps, and did not close until after the war, in...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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
Yuki Shimoda
Yuki Shimoda was an American actor best known for his starring role as Ko Wakatsuki in the NBC movie of the week, Farewell to Manzanar in 1976. He also co-starred in a 1960s television series, Johnny Midnight , with Edmond O'Brien. He was a star of the silver screen, early television and the stage...
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
International Weightlifting Federation
The International Weightlifting Federation , headquartered in Budapest, is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting.The IWF was founded in 1905, and has 187 member nations. The IWF president is Dr...
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
.