Tommy Kono
Olympic Weightlifter
Tommy Kono (1930-2016) was born in Sacramento of Japanese descent. During World War II, his family was placed in an internment camp at Tule Lake, which was located in the desert. The dry weather helped Kono's asthma condition, and he also began weightlifting at this time because it made him stronger. Kono won his first gold medal in his first Summer Olympics in 1952, and a second gold medal in 1956. He is inducted in the US Olympic Hall of Fame and the International Weightlifting Hall of Fame.
(Portrait by Jasmine Mendez, SFSU 2016)
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