Tommy Kono

John D. Fair is a retired professor of history from Auburn University and Georgia College, and currently an adjunct professor of kinesiology at the Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports at the University of Texas, Austin. He is the author of eight books.

“Tommy Kono was one of the most influential figures in American weightlifting. With an origin story fit for a Hollywood blockbuster, Kono was a dominant weightlifter, who later became a highly recognised coach. With the typical depth and empathy we come to expect from John Fair, this book is a much needed and insightful account of the great Tommy Kono. Fair’s tenacity for research and love of weightlifting combine to create a work which will no doubt become a classic in the field of sport history. For fans and academics alike, Fair has provided a thoughtprovoking account of one of weightlifting’s greatest ‘rags to riches’ stories. Kono is arguably America’s greatest weightlifter and only John Fair could do his history justice.”—Conor Heffernan, lecturer in the sociology of sport, Ulster University

• Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: “Go for Broke”I—Early Life1. From Tule Lake to Helsinki2. Ascent to Olympus3. A Living Legend4. Descent from OlympusII—From Amateur to Professional5. Olympic Coach6. Public Servant7. Retro Coach8. Political QuagmireIII—Athletic Immortality9. Rising Above the Din10. Weightlifting Sage11. A Heroic EndingEpilogue and ConclusionAppendix I: Tommy Kono’s Record of AchievementAppendix II: World RecordsChapter NotesBibliographyIndex