Tommy Kono is a legend in the weighlifting world. Born in 1930 in Sacramento, CA, Kono was the only lifter to set world records in four weightlifting classes. He was also a gold medalist in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics in Helsinki and Melbourne respectively. Tommy earned a silver medal four years later in Rome. He was world champion from 1953-1959, garnishing 21 world records along the way. He won three Pan-American Games championships during his illustrious career. In 1976, Kono was the US Olympic coach for the games in Montreal.

In addition to his highly successful Olympic weightlifting career, Kono also won the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competitions in 1957 and 1959.

His book, “Weightlifting, Olympic Style” is a bible of Olympic lifting.

Mr. Kono penned a piece titled “If I Had My Way”. It should be on the wall in every gym as it contains his philosophy on how things should be in the gym and it is based on respect and responsibility. It is reproduced here.

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Olympic lifting has a long tradition in sports other than Olympic weightlifting for strength, power and conditioning but it is not without it’s detractors by strength coaches mostly, I suppose, because of the steep learning curve it takes to master the lifts. Many coaches are of the opinion the time could be more effectively used for other movements that provide similar benefits.

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The Olympic squat clean, is a technical lift as is the power clean, requiring mastery of the techniques and progressions, getting quality reps and if you can, good coaching. That said, if your form sucks, and mine does, there is no reason you can’t take advantage of the benefits of including this great old-school lift in your training as a free-standing movement or as the primary lift in a barbell complex. For barbell lifts, I rate the clean just behind the deadlift and the squat for the most bang for the buck.

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Janos Baranyai of Hungary dislocated his elbow at the Beijing Olympic Weightlifting competition. He was on is 3rd lift with 148 kg (325.6 lbs). That had to hurt!

With just a day before the 2008 Olympics begin in Beijing, we’ve learned that Casey Burgener, who earned the #3 slot for the US men’s team will not be competing. Casey called his parents early this morning from Beijing informing them he will not be competing. Casey’s fate apparently was decided by the President of the IWF, Dr. Tamas Ajan, at a Technical Meeting Thursday morning.

Here is a press release from over a month ago that did not go out due to possible “negative publicity”:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 4 2008

Casey Burgener thought he had achieved his lifelong ambition of becoming an Olympic athlete, qualifying for the US Olympic Weightlifting Team by lifting 180 kilos (396 lbs) in the snatch and 224 kilos (492 lbs) in the clean and jerk, the two competition lifts in Olympic Weightlifting, for a total of 404 kilos (888 lbs.).
Casey is from Bonsall in North San Diego County and graduated from Rancho Buena Vista High School where his father and coach, Mike, is a PE teacher and strength coach. Casey Burgener is the 105 plus kilogram (super heavyweight) weightlifter for the US Men’s National Weightlifting Team. A two time National Champion, ‘06, ‘07, weighing in at just 275 lbs, Casey should be representing the U.S. in the heaviest weight class in Olympic Weightlifting, competing against Weightlifters that out weigh him by as much as 100 lbs. Casey thought he would be competing along with team mate and fiance Natalie Woolfolk who also qualified for the Womens Olympic Weightlifting Team.

This, from Greg Everett:

“This is an ongoing issue. Basically we were told the men were competing for 3 slots at trials. Casey earned that 3rd slot. Afterward, that 3rd spot was never made official. So USAW, IWF, IOC and OSOC are all arguing about what’s going on, and it’s bull**** because Casey lifted to make a total for that 3rd position; had we known there were only 2, his strategy at trials may have been different. We’re still hoping it gets worked out, particularly considering all the openings after the entire Bulgarian and Greek teams getting booted, and Mutlu and Rezazadeh withdrawing.”

It appears Greg thinks there is some hope for Casey to compete.

From a post of Casey’s father, Mike Burgener:

We are praying casey gets to lift. as has been indicated our beef is with the iwf that told us we have 3 slots. casey’s lifts were predicated on going after the 3rd slot hence note that he did not take a 3rd clean and jerk…..there was no need as he won the 3rd slot and became a member of the olympic team. if casey does not get to lift then he has been denied an opportunity then to make the team. we are betting that with all the drop outs that casey will lift. he is being taken to china, he has his visa, he is being outfitted, mrs b and i are going……HE IS LIFTING!!! come on say it with me: HE IS LIFTING!!! over and over again!!!!

So there is optimism and hope that Casey will get to compete. We’ll wait and see. It ain’t over ’til it’s over!

Earlier, we read this from AFP:

Iran’s double Olympic gold medallist Hossein Rezazadeh has pulled out of the 2008 Games because he was not in good enough shape to defend his title, a weightlifting official said.

Well maybe, but I think the Mad Mullahs got wind Rezazadeh may have wanted to defect from Iran, (and who wouldn’t)? He did turn down offers for a change in nationality from Turkey and Greece after 2004. In any case, it sounds like the mullahs had something to do with this.  Just my opine, though!

Back in June, the entire freakin’ Bulgarian weightlifting team was pulled from the Games for doping! Well, what a surprise! Steroids? Who knew?

Oh, and did I mention 11 Greek lifters tested positive for the Cheater Juice. The Greeks now are sending only 4 lifters.

As Jim Rome would say, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying”. Of course, if you get caught, you suffer the consequences.

After getting rid of the first round of cheaters, it would be cruel irony if Casey, (drug-free, by the way) does not get to compete as he deserves, but I hope he does. 

The Olympics have become a farce.

By this time, Natalie Woolfolk is in Beijing, preparing to compete in Olympic lifting for the USA in the 2008 Summer Games. Before she left, she got in some training at Mike’s Gym.

Thanks to Covert Mike for telling me about the video and directing me to Catalyst Athletics. There are so many things to watch and take note of in this video like the progression exercises she does, all the technique nuances, but the one thing that really jumps out is just how fast she is! She makes the lifts look like I can go in the gym and do it like that. <dream sequence ends>.

Melanie Roach qualified Saturday as the top US female on a team of 4 women going to Beijing to compete in the Summer Olympics. Rounding out the rest of the US womens’ team are Carissa Gump, Natalie Woolfolk and third time Olympian, Cheryl Haworth.

The US Olympic Weightlifting Trials were held Saturday in Atlanta.

On the men’s side, there are three qualifiers including Mike Burgener’s son Casey, who at the trials on Saturday snatched 180 kilos (396#) and clean and jerked 224 kilos (492.8#) for a 404 kilo (880.8#) total. The top rated US lifter is Kendrick Farris, followed by Chad Vaughn.

More on Casey, from the AP story.

Farris and Vaughn dominated the men’s competition, with the main battle for the final spot. Burgener took it with a clean and jerk of 493 pounds on his next-to-last attempt. He fell over backward on the stage in jubilation.

“It was just a surge of energy,” Burgener said. “I can’t put it into words. It was like every surge of emotion you can feel all coming down at once.”

Congratulations, Casey, Melanie and the rest of the US team.

Melanie Roach is a 117 lb former gymnast-turned Olympic weightlifting hopeful who who can put double her bodyweight over her head and is fond of saying weightlifting is the easiest part of her day. Read the amazing story of Melanie Roach.