1948 USA Olympic Team
Strength and Power Hall of Fame
2024
1948 Olympic Team
The 1948 Olympics were held in London England from 7/29-8/14/1948. Weightlifting consisted of 6 weight classes 56kg, 60kg, 67.7kg, 75kg, 82.5kg and +82.5kg. This was the first time the 56kg classes had been included in the Olympic Games. The competition for all weight classes was held on 9-11/8/1948 at the Empress Hall, Earl’s Court. The United States Team Manager was Dietrich Wortmann, Olympic Coach Bob Hoffman and the Team Trainer was Ray VanCleef.
The Athletes
John Davis
1/12/1921- 7/13/1984
1940, 1948, 1952 Olympic Team
1948 Olympics 1st Heavyweight
1952 Olympics 1st Heavyweight
1938 1st World Championships 181lb class (John was 17 years old)
1946 1st World Championships Heavyweight
1947 1st World Championships Heavyweight
1948 1st World & Olympic Championships Heavyweight
1949 1st World Championships Heavyweight
1950 1st World Championships Heavyweight
1951 1st World Championships Heavyweight
1952 1st World and & Olympic Championships Heavyweight
1953 2nd World Championships Heavyweight
1951 1st Pan American Games Heavyweight
1938 Senior Nationals 2nd 181lb class
1955 Senior Nationals 2nd Heavyweight
1956 Senior Nationals 2nd Heavyweight
12X Senior National Champion 1939,40,41,42,43,46,47,48,50,51,52 & 53
1938 Junior National Champion
Established 16 World Records and 8 unofficial
1st lifter to officially C&J 400Lbs, 1951 Seniors Los Angeles.
1st lifter to unofficially total 1,000lbs on the three Olympic lifts 2/1/1941
Usually held all national and world records in his weight class during his career.
Joseph “Joe” DePietro
6/10/1914-3/19/1999
Joe started lifting in the late 1930’s and was a member of the Bates Barbell club. Joe was an Olympic champion, Pan American champion and a 9X Senior National Champion. Joe set 6 world records and several national records during his career.
1st 123lb class 1942 Junior Nationals
1st 123lb Class 1942 Senior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1943 Senior Nationals
2nd 123lb class 1944 Senior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1945 Senior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1946 Senior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1947 Senior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1947 World Championships
1st 123lb class 1948 Senior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1948 Olympic Games
1st 123llb class 1949 Senior Nationals
3rd 123lb class 1949 World Championships
1st 123lb class 1950 Senior Nationals
4th 123lb class 1950 World Championships
1st 123lb class 1951 Senior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1951 Pan American Games
3rd 123lb class 1952 Senior Nationals
Norbert “Norb” Schemansky
5/30/1924-9/7/2016
Norb competed from 1941 to 1968. He served 3 years in the Army during WW2 and missed 2 years of competition due to two major back surgeries. Due to back surgery Norb missed the 1956 Olympics. Norb is probably the greatest heavyweight of all time. Norb weighed 182lbs at his first meet in 1941 and 277lbs at one of his last meets in 1967. In 1967 Norb cleaned and pressed 415lbs for the heaviest press of his long career at almost 44 years old. At the 1962 Worlds Norb had a ten kilo lead over Yuri Vlasov going into the C&J. Vlasov’s double dip jerk was passed 2 to 1 giving Vlasov the title. Norb was 38 years old. Norb’s book Mr. Weightlifting details Norb’s long career.
Olympic Games
2nd Heavyweight 1948
1st Middle-heavyweight 1952
3rd Heavyweight 1960
3rd Heavyweight 1964
World Championships
2nd 1947 Heavyweight
1st 1951 Middle-heavyweight
1st 1953 Middle-heavyweight
1st 1954 Middle-heavyweight
2nd 1962 Heavyweight
2nd 1963 Heavyweight
Pan American Games
1st 1955 Heavyweight
North American Championships
1st 1949 Heavyweight
1st 1950 Heavyweight
1st 1952 Heavyweight
1st 1957 Heavyweight
1st 1959 Heavyweight
1st 1963 Heavyweight
1st 1964 Heavyweight
Senior Nationals
2nd 1947 Heavyweight
2nd 1948 Heavyweight
1st 1949 Heavyweight
2nd 1950 Heavyweight
1st 1951 Middle-heavyweight
1st 1952 Middle-heavyweight
1st 1953 Middle-heavyweight
1st 1954 Heavyweight
1st 1957 Heavyweight
3d 1959 Heavyweight
2nd 1960 Heavyweight
1st 1962 Heavyweight
2nd 1963 Heavyweight
1st 1964 Heavyweight
1st 1965 Heavyweight
3rd 1966 Heavyweight
Junior Nationals
1st 1946 Heavyweight
World and National Records
Norb set 22 world records and 34 National records
Frank Spellman
9/17/1922-1/12/2017
Frank started lifting about 1940 when he was 18. Shortly after he joined the South Philly Weightlifting Club and was coached by Dan Leone. Right after winning the 1942 Junior Nationals Frank was drafted and served in the Army Air Corp until late December 1945. Frank then moved to York Pa. and lifted for the York Barbell Club. Frank is an Olympic Champion 1948 and a 3X Senior National Champion. He was a State Champion several times and set 4 National Records and 2 Olympic Records. Frank is a member of the US Weightlifting Hall of Fame, Helms Hall of Fame and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Olympic Lifting
1st 165lb class 1942 Junior Nationals
3rd 165lb class 1946 North American Championships
1st 165lb class 1946 Senior Nationals
3rd 165lb class 1946 World Championships
2nd 165lb class 1947 Senior Nationals
2nd 165lb class 1947 World Championships
2nd 165lb class 1948 New York Invitational Meet
1st 165lb class 1948 Middle Atlantic Championships
1st 165lb class 1948 Senior Nationals
1st 165lb class 1948 Olympic Tryouts
1st 165lb class 1948 Olympic Games
1st 165lb class 1949 North American Championships
2nd 165lb class 1949 Senior Nationals
1st 165lb class 1950 Senior Middle Atlantic Championships
2nd 165lb class 1950 Senior Nationals
3rd 165lb class 1951 Senior Nationals
2nd 148lb class 1952 Senior Nationals
2nd 181lb class 1954 Senior Nationals
1st 165lb class 1961 Senior Nationals
Power Lifting
3rd 181lb class Bench Press 340lbs 1954 AAU National Bench Press and Squat Championships.
1st 181lb class Squat 510lbs 1954 AAU National Bench Press and Squat Championships
Stanley “Stan” Stanczyk
5/10/25-7/3/1997
Stan was born in Wisconsin but grew up in Detroit. Stan started lifting in the late 1930’s and competed from 1942 until 1957. Stan was drafted in 1943 and spent 3 years in the Pacific as a combat marine. Stan is a member of the United States Weightlifting Hall of Fame.
International Record
1st 148lb class 1946 World Championships
1st 165b class 1946 North American Championships
1st 165lb class 1947 World Championships
1st 165lb class 1947 North American Championships
1st 181lb class 1948 Olympics
1st 181lb class 1949 World Championships
1st 181lb class 1950 World Championships
1st 181lb class 1951 World Championships
1st 181lb class 1951 Pan American Games
2nd 181lb class 1952 Olympics
3rd 181lb class 1953 world Championships
3rd 165lb class 1954 World Championships
National Record
1st 148lb class 1943 Junior Nationals
3rd 148lb class 1943 Senior Nationals
3rd 165lb class 1946 Senior Nationals
1st 165lb class 1947 Senior Nationals
1st 181lb class 1948 Senior Nationals
1st181lb class 1949 Senior Nationals
1st 181lb class 1953 Senior Nationals
2nd 181lb class 1955 Senior Nationals
2nd 198lb class 1956 Senior Nationals
3rd 225lb class 1957 Senior Nationals
Records
Stan set 8 official world records and 25 national records during his career.
Peter “Pete” George
6/29/1929-7/27/2021
Pete started training when he was 11. By age 14 he was Ohio State Champion and Junior National Champion at age 15. Pete was the first teenager of any bodyweight to officially clean and jerk 300lbs when he was 15. At 16 Pete was Senior National Champion and World Champion at age 17. Pete competed in 10 World Championships, 3 Olympic Games and was a World Record Holder. Pete was an Orthodontist, Assistant Professor of Stomatology and an author.
Olympic Games
2nd165lb class 1948 Olympics
1st 165lb class 1952 Olympics
2nd 165lb class 1956 Olympics
World Championships
1st 148lb class 1947
2nd 165lb class 1949
2nd 165lb class 1950
1st 165lb class 1951
1st 148lb class 1953
1st 165lb class 1954
1st 165lb class 1955
Senior Nationals
1st 148lb class 1946
1st 165lb class 1949
1st 165lb class 1950
1st 165lb class 1951
1st 165lb class 1952
2nd165lb class 1953
1st 165lb class 1957
Pan American Games
1st 165lb class 1951
1st 165lb class 1955
North American Championships
1st 148lb class 1947
Junior Nationals
4th 132lb class 1944
1st 148lb class 1945
https://startingstrength.com/article/pete_george
Emerick Ishikawa
10/23/1920-11/26/2006
Emerick lifted for York Barbell for most of his career. Late in his career he moved back to Hawaii and represented the Nu’uanu YMCA.
1st 123lb class 1944 Junior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1944 Senior Nationals
1st 123lb class 1945 Senior Nationals
1st 132lb class 1946 Senior Nationals
5th 132lb class 1946 World Championships
1st 132lb class 1947 Senior Nationals
3rd 132lb class 1947 World Championships
2nd 132lb class 1948 Senior Nationals
6th 132lb class 1948 Olympic Games
8th 132lb class 1952 Senior Nationals
US Weightlifting Hall of Fame
World record holder
Toshiyuki “Harold” Sakata
7/1/1920-7/29/1982
Harold started lifting in 1944 in Hawaii. He competed for 5 years before retiring to become a Professional Wrestler and an Actor. Harold is probably best known for his portrayal of the character Oddjob in the 1964 movie Goldfinger
1st 181lb class 1947 Junior Nationals
3rd 181lb class 1947 Senior Nationals
2nd 181lb class 1948 Senior Nationals
2nd 181lb class 1948 Olympic Games
3rd Heavyweight Class 1949 Senior Nationals
Richard Tom
11/8/1920-2/20/2007
1st 123lb class 1947 Junior Nationals
2nd 123lb class 1947 World Championships
2nd 123lb class 1948 Senior Nationals
3rd 123lb class 1948 Olympic Games
1st 1952 Senior Nationals
123lb class 1952 Olympic Games (Alternate)
Richard Tomita
7/8/1927-2/20/2007
3rd 132lb class 1948 Senor Nationals
8th 132lb class 1948 Olympic Games
5th 132lb class 1950 World Championships
1st 132lb class 1952 Senior Nationals
132lb class 1952 Olympic Games (Alternate)
Author: By Strenght and Power Hall of Fame Completed: yes Created: Wed Jan 15 13:47:44 UTC 2025 | Last Updated: Tue Feb 04 11:48:01 UTC 2025