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The greatest Olympic athlete from every U.S. state

By Adam Strangis

16th October 1964: Alfred A Oerter, American winner of the Gold Medal in the Tokyo Olympics 1964 for Discus throwing. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
16th October 1964: Alfred A Oerter, American winner of the Gold Medal in the Tokyo Olympics 1964 for Discus throwing. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) /
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11th August 1948: Norbert Schemansky of USA competes in the 1948 Olympic Super Heavyweight Weightlifting at Earl’s Court, London, and comes in at second place with a load of 259 lb. (Photo by PNA Rota/Getty Images)
11th August 1948: Norbert Schemansky of USA competes in the 1948 Olympic Super Heavyweight Weightlifting at Earl’s Court, London, and comes in at second place with a load of 259 lb. (Photo by PNA Rota/Getty Images) /

Michigan: Norbert Schemansky

Sport: Weightlifting

Olympics: London 1948, Helsinki 1952, Rome 1960, and Tokyo 1964

It may not be at the forefront of popular sports, but weightlifting in the 1940s through the 1960s would look a lot different without Norbert Schemansky. Before his Olympic career, Schemansky served in World War II in the 184th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. After he came back to the United States, he continued to pursue his dream of competing in the Olympics.

In his career, he became the first weightlifter to ever win four medals even though he was unable to compete in the 1956 Games due to a back injury. He captured a gold, silver, and two bronzes across the four Olympics he entered. In addition to his Olympic achievements, Schemansky was also a multiple-time World Champion and won a gold in the Pan American games. During his very long career, he set 13 world records. Schemansky competed for 25 years through various events and became the oldest man to set a record in 1962. At the age of 37 and 333 days, he snatched 164 kilograms. He continued to compete for another decade after that. 1997 saw Schemansky get inducted into the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame, a well-deserved honor.

Schemansky accomplished an immense amount in his life from serving in the military and his Olympic career. There are very few people that can claim to have done a fraction of what Schemansky accomplished in life. Schemansky passed in 2016 at the age of 92, having lived a very full life.

Honorable Mention: Eddie Tolan, track and field in Los Angeles 1932

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