John Henry Davis (January 12, 1921 – July 13, 1984) was an Olympic super-heavyweight weightlifter for the United States. John won gold at the 1948 and 1952 summer Olympic Games, as well as 6 World Weightlifting Championships and 12 national championships.[1] He was unbeaten from 1938 to 1953.[2]
Biography
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., John Davis served in the U.S. Army for 3½ years during World War II. For most of John Davis' long lifting career, which spanned 19 years, he represented the York Barbell Club. Davis worked as an officer in the New York Department of Corrections.
John Davis first gained prominence by winning the world light heavyweight crown as a 17-year-old school boy in 1938 at Vienna, Austria. In all, Davis triumphed eight times in world championships, including the Olympic Games of 1948 and 1952. Weightlifting history show also that John Davis won gold medals in the U.S. Senior Nationals 12 times, a record no other heavyweight has even come close to equaling.[3]
At his peak, Davis held all the world records in his class. Of his many thrilling performances, perhaps his clean and jerk of 402 pounds in the 1951 Senior Nationals held in Los Angeles, California will be best remembered because it marked the first time more than 400 pounds was lifted in this fashion on a standard Olympic Barbell.[4]
Weightlifting achievements
- Olympic champion (1948 and 1952);
- Senior world champion (1938, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, & 1951);
- Silver medalist at Senior World Championships (1953);
- Set sixteen world records during his career.
World Records
- 4/10/1940 Snatch - 125 kg Light Heavyweight New York[5]
- 9/27/1947 Snatch - 139.5 kg Super Heavyweight Philadelphia
- 9/27/1947 Clean & Jerk - 174.5 kg Super Heavyweight Philadelphia
- 9/27/1947 Total - 455 kg Super Heavyweight Philadelphia
- 2/20/1948 Snatch - 140.5 kg Super Heavyweight Cleveland
- 2/20/1948 Clean & Press - 151.5 kg Super Heavyweight Cleveland
- 5/13/1948 Snatch - 141 kg Super Heavyweight Chicago
- 5/13/1948 Clean & Press - 152 kg Super Heavyweight Chicago
- 8/11/1948 Snatch - 142.5 kg Super Heavyweight London
- 11/8/1949 Clean & Jerk - 177.5 kg Super Heavyweight London
- 6/27/1950 Snatch - 148 kg Super Heavyweight New York
- 10/15/1950 Total - 462.5 kg Super Heavyweight Paris
- 3/4/1951 Clean & Jerk - 180 kg Super Heavyweight Buenos Aires
- 3/4/1951 Total - 481.5 kg Super Heavyweight Buenos Aires
- 4/3/1951 Snatch - 149.5 kg Super Heavyweight Buenos Aires
- 6/16/1951 Clean & Jerk - 182 kg Super Heavyweight Los Angeles
References
External links
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1920–1948: +82.5 kg, 1952–1968: +90 kg, 1972–1976: 90–110 kg, 1980–1992: 100–110 kg, 1996: 99–108 kg, 2000–2008: 94–105 kg | | |
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Persondata |
Name |
Davis, John |
Alternative names |
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Short description |
American weightlifter |
Date of birth |
January 12, 1921 |
Place of birth |
Brooklyn, New York |
Date of death |
July 13, 1984 |
Place of death |
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