Josef Zeman (weightlifter)

Josef Zeman (born June 8, 1906 in Vienna , † November 1992) was an Austrian weightlifter . He won a bronze medal in the light heavyweight division at the European Championships in 1930 and 1934.

Career

Josef Zeman was a member of the Teutoburger Athletenklub Vienna . He started lifting weights there as a teenager. Since 1928 he was one of the best Austrian weightlifters in the light heavyweight division. In 1930 he became Austrian champion for the first time in this weight class with a performance of 337.5 kg (90-107.5-140) in the Olympic three-way fight in front of Johann von Szabados from the police SV Vienna, who came to 312.5 kg.

In the same year he also started at the German Fighting Games in Breslau , an event to which all German-speaking athletes in the world were invited. He only achieved 322.5 kg (85-100-137.5) in the Olympic three-way fight and had to be satisfied with 4th place. He then achieved a much better performance at the European Championships in 1930 in Munich with 340 kg in the Olympic three-way fight. With this performance he won the bronze medal in the light heavyweight division behind Olympic champion Louis Hostin from France , 350 kg and Jakob Vogt from Germany .

In 1931 he achieved an Austrian record in two-arm pushing with 145 kg in two-armed pushing, but was not nominated for the European championship that year in Luxembourg . When he was not sent to Los Angeles to attend the Olympic Games in 1932 , he hung up his weightlifting shoes in frustration.

In 1934 he made a comeback and took second place behind Fritz Haller from Vienna at the Austrian championship, which was held in the pentathlon, in the light heavyweight division with 492.5 kg . At the European Championships in Genoa in 1934 , he scored 342.5 kg in the Olympic three-way battle and thus took 3rd place behind Fritz Haller, 370 kg and Eugen Deutsch from Germany, 365 kg.

Because of increasing problems to keep the weight limit of 82.5 kg for the light heavyweight division, Josef Zeman started in the heavyweight division in 1935. In this weight class he made his debut at the European Championships in Paris in 1935 and scored 370 kg in the Olympic three-way battle. With this performance he came there on the 5th place.

In 1936 Josef Zeman was part of the Austrian team that competed at the Olympic Games in Berlin . He was able to increase his performance in the heavyweight division to 387.5 kg (110-122.5-155) kg. This achievement was only enough for the 6th place.

In 1937 he initially represented the Austrian colors in two international heavyweight battles against Germany in Vienna and Munich . He achieved 370 kg (105-115-150) in Vienna and 372.5 kg (105-117.5-150) in Munich and was defeated both times against Olympic champion Josef Manger from Freising , who in Vienna 420 kg (135-125 -160) and in Munich achieved 400 kg (125-125-150). Shortly afterwards Josef Zeman achieved a personal best in the Austrian elimination for the World Championships in Paris in Vienna in the heavyweight division with 390 kg (115-120-155). He then performed the same at the 1937 World Championships himself and came in 6th place.

In 1938 Josef Zeman started at the Nazi fighting games in Nuremberg , but only weighed 370 kg there, which put him in second place behind Josef Manger, 417.5 kg. He was no longer at the start at the 1938 World Cup in Vienna.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, EM = European Championship, FK = pentathlon, consisting of one-armed tearing and pushing as well as two-armed pushing, tearing and pushing, OD = Olympic three-way fight, consisting of two-armed pushing, tearing and pushing, Hs = light heavyweight, S = heavy weight, at that time up to 82.5 kg or over 82.5 kg body weight)

• 1930, 4th place , German fighting games in Breslau , OD, Hs, with 322.5 kg (85-100-137.5), behind Jakob Vogt , Ochtenburg , 340 (105-100-135), Karl Bierwirth , Essen , 332.5 kg u. Franz Hirn, Vienna , 330 kg;
• 1930, 3rd place , EM in Munich , OD, Hs, with 340 kg (90-107.5-142.5), behind Louis Hostin , France , 350 kg (100-110-140) and Jakob Vogt, Germany, 340 kg (105-100-135) and before Vaclav Psenicka , Czechoslovakia , 337.5 kg (100-105-132.5);
• 1934, 3rd place , EM in Genoa , OD, Hs, with 342.5 kg (95-107.5-140), behind Fritz Haller , Austria , 370 kg (105-120-145) and Eugen Deutsch , Germany , 365 kg (100-115-150);
• 1935, 5th place , EM in Paris , OD, S, with 370 kg (105-120-145), behind Josef Manger , Germany, 395 kg, Ronald Walker , England , 382.5 kg, Vaclav Psenicka, 382.5 kg u. Paul Wahl , Germany, 382.5 kg,
• 1936, 6th place , OS in Berlin , OD, S, with 387.5 kg (110-122.5-155), behind Josef Manger, 410 kg, Vaclav Psenicka, 402.5 kg, Arnold Luhaäär , Estonia , 400 kg. Ronald Walker, 397.5 kg a. Hussein Mokthar , Egypt , 395 kg;
• 1937, 6th place , World Championships in Paris , OD, S, with 390 kg (115-120-155); Winner. Josef Manger, 420 kg before Vaclav Psenicka, 405 kg a. Heinz Schattner , Germany, 395 kg

Austrian championships

(as far as known)

• 1930, 1st place, OD, Hs, with 337.5 kg in front of Johann von Szabados, Vienna, 312.5 kg,
• 1934, 2nd place, FK, Hs, with 492.5 kg, behind Fritz Haller, Vienna

swell

• Athletics magazine , numbers 49/1930, 46/1934, 45/1935, 31/32/1936,
• Kraftsport trade journal , number 24/1937,
• Website "www.sport-komplett.de"

Web links

• Josef Zemann in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )