Peter George, a three-time Olympian said that he believes he is the greatest weightlifter ever — and he can do it without any resentment. John Fair, weightlifting historian, agrees that George is the greatest weightlifter of all time — and he’s not just a local legend.
Kono, who began weightlifting at a Japanese internment camp in Japan, trained with York Barbell during the 1950s. York was known for being the training ground of the strongest people in the world. On a York mural, he can be seen referring to Muscletown USA.
Kono won gold at Helsinki in 1952, and Melbourne in 1956. He won a silver medal in the 1960 Rome games. He also won six consecutive world championships in 1950s. On its 100th anniversary, the International Weightlifting Federation proclaimed him the “Lifter of the Century”
