Masushi Ōuchi

Masushi Ōuchi at the 1964 Olympic Games

Masushi Ōuchi ( Japanese 大 内 仁 , Ōuchi Masushi ; born September 28, 1943 in Kōriyama , Fukushima Prefecture ; † June 6, 2011 ) was a Japanese weightlifter .

Career

Masushi Ōuchi started lifting weights at high school at the age of 14 . When he later attended Tokyo University , he continued his training in the university's weight room. He was sent to world championships for the first time at the age of 20. Until 1970 he took part in international championships with many successes. He was the first Japanese weightlifter ever to reach world class in a heavier weight class than lightweight (up to 67.5 kg body weight at that time). His greatest success, winning the World Championship in 1969, was in the light heavyweight division (up to 82.5 kg body weight at that time).

From 1965 to 1967 various events prevented him from starting at the World Championships. In 1965 he achieved a new world record in middleweight at the Japanese University Championships in Osaka with 450 kg, but then had three failed attempts at the Japanese Championships in pressing, whereupon he was not nominated for the World Championship by the Japanese Association. In 1966 he could not start because of an injury and in 1967 there were political reasons that prevented a start. The world championships should take place in Tokyo. However, the Japanese government forbade hoisting the GDR flag and playing the GDR national anthem in the event of a GDR weightlifter's victory. However, since the GDR insisted on hoisting the flag and possibly playing the anthem, the Japanese association had no choice but to cancel the World Cup. Because of this, there were no world weightlifting championships in 1967. It was bad luck for Masushi Ōuchi because he was back in top form this year.

After finishing his career, Ōuchi was a police officer in Tokyo.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, Wed = middleweight, Ls = light heavyweight)

• 1963, 1st place , Int. USA Championship, Wed, with 407.5 kg, ahead of Joe Puleo , USA , 390 kg and Bill Kowaloff, USA, 370 kg;
• 1963, 7th place , World Championships in Stockholm , Wed, with 415 kg, winner: Alexander Kurynow , USSR , 437.5 kg ahead of Mihály Huszka , Hungary , 437.5 kg;
• 1964, bronze medal , OS in Tokyo , Wed, with 437.5 kg, behind Hans Zdražila , CSSR , 445 kg and Wiktor Kurenzow , USSR, 440 kg;
• 1966, 1st place , Asian Games in Bangkok , Wed, with 455 kg, ahead of Lee-Shun Sik, Korea , 422.5 kg and Teherani, Iran , 407.5 kg;
• 1967, 2nd place , pre-Olymp. Games in Mexico City, Wed, with 465 kg, behind Kurenzow, 470 kg and in front of Russell Knipp , USA, 445 kg;
• 1968, silver medal , OS in Mexico City , Wed, with 455 kg, behind Kurenzow, 475 kg and in front of Károly Bakos, Hungary , 440 kg;
• 1969, 1st place , World Championships in Warsaw , ls, with 487.5 kg, ahead of Bakos, 487.5 kg and Boris Selitski , USSR, 482.5 kg;
• 1970, 2nd place , Grand Prix of the USSR in Minsk , Ls, with 470 kg, behind Selitski, 477.5 kg and in front of György Horváth, Hungary, 467.5 kg;
• 1970, 6th place , World Championship in Columbus / USA , Ls, with 470 kg, behind Gennadi Ivanchenko , USSR, 505 kg, Norbert Ozimek , Poland , 482.5 kg, David Rigert , USSR, 482.5 kg, Mike Karchut , USA, 480 kg and Bakos, 480 kg;
• 1970, 1st place , Asian Games, Ls, with 460 kg, in front of Chao, China , 417.5 kg and Park, Korea, 415 kg.

World records

in tears:

• 141.5 kg, 1965 in Osaka , Wed,
• 142.5 kg, 1966 in Ohita , Wed,
• 145 kg, 1967 in Yufin , Wed,
• 149 kg, 1967 in Esaki , Ls,
• 150 kg, 1967 in Mexico City , Ls,
• 152.5 kg, 1969 in Warsaw , Ls.

in the Olympic three-way battle:

• 450 kg, 1965 in Osaka, Wed,
• 452.5 kg, 1965 in Osaka, Wed,
• 455 kg, 1966 in Bangkok , Wed.

Web links

Commons : Masushi Ōuchi  - collection of images

• Masushi Ōuchi in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• Masahi Ohuchi in Top Olympic Lifters of the 20th Century