Steve Stanko

Steve Stanko (born September 5, 1917 in Pert Amboy , New Jersey , † December 31, 1978 ) was an American weightlifter and bodybuilder .

Career

Steve Stanko was born to Hungarian immigrants in Pert Amboy at almost the same time as his later friend John Grimek . As a boy he was slim and lean, swimming, athletics and football. At times he was even a member of the football team at George Washington University. When John Grimek became the American weightlifting champion in 1936 , he became interested in the sport and began to train with weights. In his first competition he managed, meanwhile grown to a handsome young man, 277.5 kg in the Olympic three-way fight. He trained hard, sometimes five times a week. At that time, training two to three times a week was common. The successes were not lacking. Within two years Steve made the leap into the top American league and even became vice world champion in Vienna in the same year . An incredibly rapid career. In 1941 he became the first weightlifter in the world to reach 1,000 lbs. (English pounds), that's 454 kg. As a result of the war, he was denied further great international successes, but was one of the best heavyweight lifters in the world together with Josef Manger and John Davis around 1940 .

In 1941 Steve was drafted into the US Army and survived the war unscathed. In 1944 he was released and started a new career as a bodybuilder, despite the growing disease phlebitis . In this sport, too, he was not denied successes. He was u. a. "Mr. America "and" Mr. Universe ".

Steve Stanko died on December 31, 1978 after a long illness.

Career as a weightlifter

• 1938, 1st place , USA Championship (AAU) for Juniors, S, with 377.5 kg;
• 1938, 1st place , USA Championship (AAU), S, with 387.5 kg, before Bill Good , 385 kg;
• 1938, 1st place , North America. Championship in Toronto , S, with 387.5 kg, ahead of Louis Abele, USA, 365 kg;
• 1938, 2nd place , World Championship in Vienna , S, with 397.5 kg, behind Josef Manger , Germany , 410 kg and in front of Arnold Luhaäär , Estonia , 390 kg;
• 1939, 1st place , USA Championship (AAU), S, with 407.5 kg, ahead of Abele, 397.5 kg;
• 1939, 1st place , North America. Championship in Toronto, S, with 412.5 kg, ahead of Gordon Venables, USA, 337.5 kg;
• 1940, 1st place , Mittel-Atlantic-Meistersch., S, with 432.5 kg, in front of John Davis (weightlifter) , 427.5 kg;
• 1940, 1st place , USA Championship, (AAU), S, with 432.5 kg, in front of Abele, 415 kg and John Grimek , 390 kg;
• 1940, 1st place , North America. Championship in Toronto, S, with 420 kg;
• 1941, 1st place , Mittel-Atlantic-Meistersch., S, with 454 kg (1,000 lbs.), In front of Abele, 442.5 kg, the individual performances were pushing 140 kg, tearing 140 kg, pushing 174 kg;
• 1941, 3rd place , USA championship (AAU), S, with 440 kg, behind John Davis, 457.5 kg and Abele, 442.5 kg (one day before the championship, Steve had received the draft notice and was accordingly demotivated)

International fights USA - Germany

• June 20, 1938 in Baltimore : Stanko 385 kg: Manger 430 kg,
• June 25, 1938 in New York : Stanko 385 kg: Manger 430 kg,
• October 30, 1938 in Munich : Stanko 400 kg: Manger 417.5 kg,
• November 1, 1938 in Essen : Stanko 395 kg: Manger 420 kg

At the event in Baltimore, Josef Manger lifted 182.5 kg after transferring the weight with outside help.

Records

During his short career, Steve Stanko set 7 world records and 14 US records.

Bodybuilder career

• 1944 "Mr. Central Atlantic ”in York, Pennsylvania;
• 1944 "Mr. America-Junior “(AAU), ahead of Dan Lurie and Bill Barad;
• 1944 "Mr. America ”(AAU), ahead of Gene Jantzen and Marvin Urvant;
• 1946 "American Most Muscular Physique", before Joe Lausiano and Marshall Greniuk;
• 1947 class winner “Mr. Universe “(FUI), ahead of John Farbotnik, Eric Pedersen and George Eiferman, second in the overall standings behind John Grimek and ahead of Sam Loprinzi and Kim Voyages.

Web links

Pictures by Steve Stanko about the letter "S"