1984 USA Olympic Team

Strength and Power Hall Of Fame

2024

1984 Olympic Team

 

The 1984 Olympics were held in Los Angeles California from 7/28-8/12/1984. Weightlifting consisted of 10 weight classes 52kg, 56kg, 60kg, 67.5kg, 75kg, 82.5kg, 90kg, 100kg, 110kg and+110kg. The competition for all weight classes were held on 7/29-8/8/1984 at the Loyola Marymount University Gersten Pavilion. Fourteen Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Summer Games. The Team Coach was Harvey Newton and the Competition Director Was Jim Schmitz.

 

The Athletes

 

Mario Martinez

7/6/1957-1/14/2018

 

Mario started training in the early 1970’s. He competed from 1973-1996 and was coached by Jim Schmitz. Mario was a 3X Olympian, Pan American Champion, 10X Senior National Champion and held all the national records in the Superheavyweight class. Mario was the first American Superheavyweight to snatch over 400lbs and clean and jerk over 500lbs in the same contest.

 

1st 90kg class 1976 National Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships

8th 90kg class 1976 Junior World Championships

9th 100kg class 1977 Junior World Championships

3rd 100kg class 1978 Junior Nationals

1st Superheavyweight 1982 Senior Nationals

1st Superheavyweight 1982 Pan Ams

1st Superheavyweight 1983 Senior Nationals

1st Superheavyweight 1984 Senior Nationals

2nd Superheavyweight 1984 Olympic Games

1st Superheavyweight 1985 Senior Nationals

1st Superheavyweight 1986 Senior Nationals

1st Superheavyweight 1987 Senior Nationals

1t Superheavyweight 1987 Pan American Games

1st Superheavyweight 1988 Senior Nationals

4th Superheavyweight 1988 Olympic Games

1st Superheavyweight 1989 Senior Nationals

1st Superheavyweight 1991 Senior Nationals

2nd Superheavyweight 1999 Pan American Games

1st Superheavyweight 1992 Senior Nationals

8th Superheavyweight 1992 Olympic Games

2nd Superheavyweight 1993 Senior Nationals

2nd Superheavyweight 1994 Senior Nationals

3rd Superheavyweight 1995 Pan American Games

 

Guy Carlton

1/16/1954-5/11/2001

 

Guy started competing in weightlifting when he was in the 6th grade. He played football and wrestled in high school. Guy won 3 silver medals in the 100kg class at the 1979 Pan American Games. He was a member of the 1980 US Olympic team and won the bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics.

 

4th 90kg class 1973 Teenage Nationals

6th 90kg class 1976 Junior Nationals

8th 90kg class 1976 Senior Nationals

3rd 100kg class 1978 Pan Ams

1st 100kg class 1978 National Sports Festival

2nd 100kg class 1978 Senior Nationals

9th 100kg class 1978 World Championships

2nd 100kg class 1979 Senior Nationals

10th 100kg class 1979 World Championships

2nd 100kg class 1979 Pan American Games

2nd 100kg class 1980 Senior Nationals

       100kg class 1980 Olympics

1st 110kg class 1980 Shanghai Weightlifting Tournament

1st 110kg class 1981 Senior Nationals

4th 110kg class 1981 Friendship Cup

1st 110kg class 1981 National Sports Festival

1st 110kg class 1982 National Sports Festival

2nd 110kg class 1982 Friendship Cup

1st 110kg class 1982 Pan Ams

1st 110kg class 1982 Tsitsibakos Memorial Weightlifting Tournament

2nd 110kg class 1983 Senior Nationals

1st 110kg class 1983 National Sports Festival

2nd 110kg class 1983 Mack Trucks Invitational

1st 110kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

3rd 110kg class 1984 Olympic Games

2nd 110kg class 1985 Senior Nationals

2nd 110kg class 1986 Senior Nationals

4th 100kg class 1988 Senior Nationals

 

 

 

 

Ken Clark

 

Ken started lifting in 1971 and competed until 1992. Ken represented the Sports Palace Team coached by Jim Schmitz. Ken was a 6X Senior National Champion, 3X National Sports Festival Champion and placed 5th at the 1984 Olympic Games.

 

3rd 82.5kg class 1973 Teenage Nationals

3rd 90kg class 1976 Junior Nationals

8th 90kg class 1977 Senior Nationals

2nd 100kg class 1978 Junior Nationals

4th 100kg class 1978 Senior Nationals

3rd 100kg class 1978 National Sports Festival

1st 100kg class 1979 Junior Nationals

4th 100kg class 1980 Senior Nationals

1st 100kg class 1981 Senior Nationals

1st 100kg class 1981 National Sports Festival

1st 100kg class 1982 Senior Nationals

1st 100kg class 1982 National Sports Festival

1st 100kg class 1982 Pan Ams

1st 100kg class 1983 Senior Nationals

1st 100kg class 1983 National Sports Festival

1st 100kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

5th 100kg class 1984 Olympic Games

1st 100kg class 1985 Senior Nationals

2nd 100kg class 1986 Senior Nationals

1st 100kg class 1987 Senior Nationals

2nd 100kg class 1987 Pan American Games

6th 100kg class 1988 Senior Nationals

4th 90kg class 1990 Senior Nationals

5th 90kg class 1991 Senior Nationals

4th 100kg class 1992 Senior Nationals

 

Richard “Rick” Eaton

12/7/1962-6/12/2015

 

Rick started lifting when he was 12 years old to get stronger for football. Rick started competing in weightlifting about 1976. Rick was a 4X Junior Olympic Champion and a 2X Junior Pan Am Champion and finished 4th in the 1982 Junior World Championships. Rick lifted for the Sports Palace Team and was coached by Jim Schmitz.

 

1st 100kg class 1977 Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships

1st 100kg class 1978 Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships

1st 100kg class 1979 Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships

1st 100kg class 1980 Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships

1st 110kg class 1981 Junior Pan Ams

1st 110kg class 1982 Junior Pan Ams

3rd 110kg class 1982 Senior Nationals

4th 110kg class 1982 Junior World Championships

3rd 110kg class 1983 Senior Nationals

2nd 110kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

6th 110kg class 1984 Olympic Games

3rd 110kg class 1985 Senior Nationals

2nd Superheavyweight 1986 Senior Nationals

3rd Superheavyweight 1987 Senior Nationals

3rd Superheavyweight 1988 Senior Nationals

 

Richard “Rich” Shanko

 

Richard started lifting in 1972 to get stronger for football. He was 2nd in the 100kg class at the 1982-1984 Senior Nationals and placed 3rd at the Senior’s in the 90kg class in 1981. Richard retired from lifting after the 1984 Olympics.

 

3rd 198lb class 1981 Senior Nationals

2nd 100kg class 1981 National Sports Festival

2nd 100kg class 1982 Senior Nationals

2nd 100kg class 1982 National Sports Festival

2nd 100kg class 1983 Senior Nationals

2nd 100kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

7th 100kg class 1984 Olympic Games

 

Thomas “Tom” Colandro

 

Tom represented the Baton Rouge Athletic Club and was coached by Gayle Hatch.

 

1st 90kg class 1982 American Open

4th 90kg class 1984 Senior National

19th 198lb class 1984 Olympic Games

3rd 90kg class 1985 Senior Nationals

3rd 90kg class 1986 Senior Nationals

1st 90kg class 1987 Senior Nationals

3rd 90kg class 1987 Pan American Games

 

 

 

 

Derrick Crass

 

Derrick began lifting in 1976 at the Belleville Weightlifting Club and was coached by Ted Frank. Derrick won National Teenage group competitions and set several National Junior Records. About 1980 Derrick moved to Colorado Springs and trained at the US Olympic Training Center and was coached by Harvey Newton. Derrick is a 2X Olympian and a 3X Senior National Champion.

 

11th 90kg class 1980 Junior World Championships

6th 90kg class 1981 Senior Nationals

2nd 90kg class 1982 Senior Nationals

13th 90kg class 1982 World Championships

3rd 90kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

1st 90kg class Oceania Weightlifting Championships

      90kg class 1984 Olympic Games (Injured)

1st 82.5kg class 1987 Senior Nationals

2nd 90kg class 1987 Manuel Suarez Cup

8th 82.5kg class 1987 Pan American Games

5th 82.5kg class 1988 Senior Nationals

11th 82.5kg class 1988 Olympic Games

1st 90kg class 1989 Senior Nationals

13th 90kg class 1989 World Championships

1st 90kg class 1990 Senior Nationals

3rd 90kg class 1990 Moomba Cup

2nd 90kg class 1992 Senior Nationals

15th 94kg class 2002 Senior Nationals

 

Arnold “Arn” Kritsky

 

Arn is from Northern Virginia and began lifting in the early 1970’s. He was the first Virginian to represent the United States in the Olympic Games, Los Angeles 1984. Arn also represented the United States at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul South Korea.

 

1st 123lb class 1974 Region 2 Junior Olympic WL Championships

8th 148lb class 1975 Chesapeake Bay Open

2nd 181lb class 1981 Hampton Roads WL Championships

1st 181lb class 1983 America’s Cup

7th 181lb class 1983 Senior Nationals

3rd 181lb class 1983 National Collegiate’s

1st 181lb class 1984 America’s Cup

1st 181lb class 1984 National Sports Festival VI

4th 181lb class 1984 Senior Nationals

9th 181lb class 1984 Olympic Games

1st 181lb class 1985 Senior Nationals

1st 181lb class 1985 US Olympic Festival

1st 181lb class 1986 US Olympic Festival

2nd 181lb class 1986 Senior Nationals

2nd 181lb class 1987 Senior Nationals

3rd 181lb class 1988 Senior Nationals

11th 198lb class 1988 Olympic Games

2nd 181lb class 1990 Senior Nationals

3rd 181lb class 1996 Senior Nationals

 

Albert “Al” Hood

8/7/1964-9/1/1994

 

Coached by Bob Takano Al had a short but very successful career. Al set Junior and Senior National Records was an Olympian and a 3x Senior National Champion.

 

1st 56kg class 1981 Senior Nationals

1st 56kg class 1981 National Junior Weightlifting Championships

1st 56kg class 1982 Senior Nationals

1st 56kg class 1982 Pan Am Junior Championships

1st 56kg class 1983 America’s Cup

1st 56kg class 1983 Pan Am Junior Championships

1st 56kg class 1984 National Junior Weightlifting Championships

1st 56kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

8th 56kg class 1984 Olympic Games

 

Don Abrahamson

 

3rd 60kg class 1975 Age Group Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships

2nd 56kg class 1976 Junior Nationals

12th 56kg class 1976 Junior World Championships

2nd 60 kg class 1976 National Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships

1st 60kg class 1977 National Collegiates

1st 60kg class 1977 Junior Nationals

12th 60kg class 1977 Junior World Championships

1st 67.5kg class 1978 National Collegiates

1st 67.5 kg class 1978 National Sports Festival

1st 67.5kg class 1978 Senior Nationals

3rd 67.5kg class 1979 Senior Nationals

4th 67.5 class 1980 Senior Nationals

2nd 67.kg class 1981 Senior Nationals

1st 67.5kg class 1981 National Sports Festival

4th 67.5 class 1981 New Zealand Games

1st 67kg class 1982 Senior Nationals

2nd 67kg class 1983 Senior Nationals

1st 67.5 class 1983 National Sports Festival

1st 67.5kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

13th 67.5 class 1984 Olympic Games

 

Michael “Mike” Davis

 

5th 100kg class 1981 Senior Nationals

4th 100kg class 1982 Senior Nationals

3rd 100kg class 1983 Senior Nationals

1st 100kg class 1983 Pan American Games

3rd 100kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

      100kg class 1984 Olympic Games Alternate

2nd 100kg class 1985 Senior Nationals

2nd 110kg class 1989 Senior Nationals

 

Louis “Lou” Mucardo

 

6th 67.5kg class 1973 Teenage Nationals

4th 75kg class 1975 Junior Nationals

10th 75kg class 1975 Junior World Championships

4th 75kg class 1976 Junior Nationals

5th 75kg class 1976 Junior World Championships

2nd 82.5kg class 1976 National Junior Olympic Weightlifting Championships

1st 82.5kg class 1977 National Collegiates

12th 82.5kg class 1977 Junior World Championships

1st 82.5kg class 1978 National Collegiates

1st 82.5kg class 1978 National Sports Festival

3rd 82.5kg class 1978 Senior Nationals

12th 82.5kg class 1978 World Championships

2nd 90kg class 1979 Junior Nationals

2nd 90kg class 1979 Senior Nationals

4th 90kg class 1980 Senior Nationals

2nd 90kg class 1981 Senior Nationals

11th 90kg class 1981 World Championships

2nd 90kg class 1981 Pan Am Championships

1st 90kg class 1983 America’s Cup

6th 100kg class 1984 Senior Nationals

      100kg class 1984 Olympic Games Alternate

 

Author: By Strength and Power Hall of Fame Completed: yes Created: Sat Jan 18 14:56:17 UTC 2025 | Last Updated: Sat Jan 18 15:04:44 UTC 2025