John Davis (weightlifter)

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John Davis

John Davis (born January 12, 1921 in Smithtown , Long Island , New York , † July 13, 1984 ) was an American weightlifter .

Life

John grew up in Brooklyn , New York. As a child and adolescent, he played all kinds of sports including gymnastics, swimming, baseball, and athletics. A regional weightlifting trainer, Steve Wolsky, noticed the strong young man and encouraged him to do weightlifting. John Davis had found the sport made for him. He was 16 years old then. In 1937 he lifted 270 kg in his first competition in the Olympic three-way fight. In the spring of 1938 he had already reached 365 kg and was taken by the American Weightlifting Association to the 1938 World Championships in Vienna . There he was a big sensation, because as a 17-year-old he won the world light heavyweight title ahead of the defending champion Fritz Haller , Austria and the Olympic champion Louis Hostin , France . A dream start to a career that would ultimately last until 1955 and bring John Davis two Olympic gold medals (1948 and 1952).

After completing his military service, Davis was finally able to continue his successful streak in 1946 when he won his second of a total of six titles at the World Cup in Paris. But in addition to his successes, Davis also caused a stir outside of the competitive stage. So on September 13, 1949 in Paris he hit the famous axle of the French strength athlete Louis Apollon weighing 182.5 kg with free transfer, which only the Olympic champion in weightlifting of 1924 Charles Rigoulot had achieved before him . The difficulties in lifting this axle were, on the one hand, its large diameter, which meant that it could hardly be grasped with the hands, and, on the other hand, the fact that the railway wheels attached to it were rigidly mounted and therefore did not turn, which in turn put extreme stress on the wrists.

John Davis was a comparatively light heavyweight compared to his opponents, who weighed only about 105 kg. He was twice Olympic champion and won a total of six gold and one silver medal at world championships. However, Davis was denied any further possible Olympic medals, since the Olympic Games in 1940 and 1944 were not held due to the Second World War .

International success

year space competition Weight class Results
1938, 1. World Cup in Vienna Semi-difficult with 387.5 kg, ahead of Fritz Haller , Austria , 377.5 kg and Louis Hostin , France , 372.5 kg
1940 2. Central Atlantic Championship Heavy with 427.5 kg, behind Steve Stanko , USA, 432.5 kg
1946 1. World Cup in Paris Heavy with 435 kg, ahead of Jakow Kuzenko , USSR , 415 kg and Mohammed Geissa, Egypt , 395 kg
1947 1. World Cup in Philadelphia Heavy with 455 kg, ahead of Norbert Schemansky , USA , 412.5 kg and Vaclav Becvar , Czechoslovakia , 360 kg
1948 gold OS in London Heavy with 452.5 kg, ahead of Norbert Schemansky, 425 kg and Abraham Charité, Netherlands , 412.5 kg
1949 1. World Cup in Scheveningen Heavy with 442.5 kg, ahead of Petersen, Denmark , 390 kg and Allard, Belgium , 387.5 kg
1950 1. World Cup in Paris Heavy with 462.5 kg, ahead of Jakow Kuzenko, 422.5 kg and Lloyd Barnett, England , 400 kg
1951 1. Pan American Games in Buenos Aires Heavy at 482.5 kg, ahead of Lennox Kilgour , Trinidad , 402.5 kg and Ferreira, Argentina , 400 kg
1951 1. World Cup in Milan Heavy at 432.5 kg, ahead of James Bradford , USA, 427.5 kg and Mohammed Geissa, 407.5 kg
1952 gold OS in Helsinki Heavy with 460 kg, ahead of James Bradford, 437.5 kg and Humberto Selvetti , Argentina, 432.5 kg
1953 2. World Cup in Stockholm Heavy with 457.5 kg behind Doug Hepburn , Canada , 467.5 kg and in front of Humberto Selvetti, 450 kg
1954 2. Intern. Weightlifting tournament in Paris Heavy with 452.5 kg, behind Norbert Schemansky, 477.5 kg
Explanations
  • all competitions in the Olympic three-way fight, consisting of two-armed pushing, snatching and pushing
  • Lightweight at that time up to 82.5 kg, heavyweight up to 1950 from 82.5 kg, from 1951 from 90 kg body weight

National successes

John Davis became the American light heavyweight champion in 1939 and 1940 and the heavyweight championship in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953.

World records

when pressing with both arms:

in two-armed tearing:

  • 125 kg, 1940 in New York , HS,
  • 139.5 kg, 1947 in Philadelphia, S,
  • 140.5 kg, 1948 in Cleveland, S,
  • 141 kg, 1948 in Chicago, S,
  • 142.5 kg, 1948 in London, S,
  • 148 kg, 1950 in York, S,
  • 148.5 kg, 1950 in York, S,
  • 149.5 kg, 1951 in Buenos Aires, p

in two-armed thrusting:

  • 160 kg, 1939 in New York, HS,
  • 174.5 kg, 1947 in Philadelphia, S,
  • 175 kg, 1948 in Philadelphia, S,
  • 177.5 kg, 1949 in York, S,
  • 180 kg, 1951 in Detroit , S,
  • 182.5 kg, 1951 in Los Angeles

in the Olympic three-way battle:

  • 387.5 kg, 1938 in Vienna, HS,
  • 455 kg, 1947 in Philadelphia, S,
  • 460 kg, 1949 in New York, S,
  • 467.5 kg, 1950 in York, S,
  • 482.5 kg, 1951 in Buenos Aires, p

literature

  • Athletics magazine

Web links
personal data
SURNAME Davis, John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American weightlifter
DATE OF BIRTH January 12, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Smithtown (New York)
DATE OF DEATH July 13, 1984