Videos from Gold Cup

[Al Myers]

Videos from Gold Cup

[Tom Ryan]

In case anyone isn’t aware of it (as I wasn’t until tonight), there are some YouTube videos of the 1989 IAWA World Championships that I see were put up by Tim Bruner three years ago. These are: One Hand Snatch Part 1, One Hand Snatch Part 2, One Hand Deadlift 1, and One Hand Deadlift 2.

I feel that it is my duty to bring these to your attention, despite the fact that two of the videos show an old, fat, unathletic-looking lifter named Tom Ryan in action. LOL. I tried to get my weight up for these contests (I weighed in at 294) and didn’t worry about my appearance. Of course I had no idea that there would someday be a YouTube that would expose me to the world! LOL

As some of you know, the one-hand snatch was used in the national championships during the 1930s, when five lifts were contested. Back in those days, many lifters would do a one-hand squat snatch, which I admit I never tried. Only one person tried it in this contest — Phil Anderson, who was a very good athlete. As the video shows, he had mixed results, as he made a lift despite having a bad and very unstable bottom position, then went tumbling over backwards on his next attempt.

There have been very few lifts over the years in which I outlifted Steve Schmidt and in this contest we both did 110 pounds in the one-hand snatch. I was decent in that lift in my prime but hadn’t practiced it regularly in many years. I also sustained a severe injury to my left arm in the pullover and press and informed the loaders that they had better hang loose because if I lost control of the bar, I wouldn’t be able to help catch it with my left hand. They heeded my advice. LOL

There were various lifters shown in these videos who haven’t been active for about 20 years, including Bill Drybread and Paul Knauer. I needed a 1600 hip lift to beat Knauer but I didn’t have the equipment to practice the lift and had done only a few hip lifts in competition by this time, so not surprisingly the bar didn’t leave the floor.

Unfortunately, this was before steroid testing and there was one lifter who didn’t attempt to hide the fact that he used steroids regularly. Another lifter was strongly suspected of being on steroids (who may have tested positive a few years later, I’m not sure), and perhaps there were a few others as well.

It would be good if all of the USAWA/IAWA contest videos could be collected in one place.

Tom

[Al Myers]

Tom, I have seen those videos of Bruners from that meet. I’m glad you mentioned them so others can look them up on YouTube. They are pretty long video files that show several lifters performing a lift in one video. I wish they were individual so each lifter could be identified. As you said, several of the lifters didn’t really compete in the USAWA after that meet and I didn’t know who some were. Frank Ciavattone has given me a tape of that entire meet that I have copied – so besides those two lifts I have watched the ENTIRE MEET. It had to be one of the largest and best USAWA meets ever. Plenty of great lifting (you included Tom!) – but obvious Bill didn’t have a pee cup at the meet!! I wouldn’t be surprised if THAT was the meet that motivated Bill to start testing in the USAWA.

Tom – if I put some of the clips from that meet on our USAWA YouTube Account, would you help me in identifying some of lifters? Al

[Tom Ryan]

Sure, I will be glad to assist you with identifications, Al.

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