Ken Patera (USA)
History in Color presents a “color view” of legendary Kenneth “Ken” Patera of Team USA Weightlifting.
Ken Patera (b. 1943) is a true legend of strength – not only in Olympic weightlifting but in the other sports disciplines – wrestling, strongman, football… you name it. Bruce Wilhelm called Patera the “Titan of Strength”.
In terms of Olympic weightlifting, Ken Patera had a tremendous success in the U.S. Nationals. He won 4 consecutive titles in the super heavyweight from 1969 to 1972. His international career success included the gold medal at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali and the silver medal at the 1971 World Championships in Lima.
Ken Patera is a U.S. Olympian. He competed for Team USA at the 1972 Summer Olympics where he pressed 212.5kg but bombed out in the snatch and didn’t qualify for placing at the tournament.
Ken Paters is a member of the Club 600. There are only 5 men in the world who were able to lift 600kg in three lifts (press, snatch and jerk) and Patera is one of them. In fact, he is the only living member of the Club 600.
He is ranked as #3 on the list with amazing 630kg total (228+175+229) that he reached on June 23, 1972 in San Francisco, CA, USA.
Speaking of the Clubs 500 and 600, here is the list of all U.S. weightlifters inducted into this prestigious Clubs of strength.
3 | Patera, Ken | 630 | 1943 | USA | 140 | 228 | 175 | 229 | San Francisco, USA | 1972.07.23 |
8 | Dube, Joe | 590 | 1944 | USA | 144 | 208 | 167.5 | 215 | Detroit, USA | 1971.06.13 |
17 | Bednarski, Bob | 577.5 | 1944 | USA | 123 | 207 | 154 | 220.5 | York, USA | 1968.06.09 |
23 | Pickett, George E. | 565 | 1936 | USA | 136 | 207 | 154.5 | 209.5 | York, USA | 1968.08.31 |
41 | Gubner, Gary Jay | 550 | 1942 | USA | 130? | Philadelphia, USA | 1966 | |||
61 | Schemansky, Norb | 540 | 1924 | USA | 120 | 181 | 162 | 201.5 | Detroit, USA | 1964.02.02 |
62 | Cole, Jon | 540? | USA | 110 | ||||||
75 | Anderson, Paul | 537.5 | 1932 | USA | 155? | 192 | 157.5 | 191.5 | Knoxville, USA | 1960.10. |
87 | Deal, Gary | 530 | 1940 | USA | 109 | 184 | 151.5 | 199.5 | Culver City, USA | 1970 |
100 | Grippaldi, Phil | 527.5 | 1946 | USA | 110 | 185 | 145 | 197.5 | 1972 | |
109 | Capsouras, Frank | 525 | 1947 | USA | 110 | 173 | 150 | 202.5 | Detroit, USA | 1972.06.11 |
141 | Henry, Sid | 517.5 | 1935 | USA | 136.5 | 175 | 147.5 | 195 | Stockholm, SWE | 1963.09.13 |
145 | Kemper, Bob | 517.5 | 1947 | USA | 110 | 183 | 142.5 | 192.5 | 1971 | |
150 | Binney, Winston | 517.5 | 1947 | USA | 110 | 193 | 140 | 185 | Detroit, USA | 1972.06.11 |
162 | Ball, Alan Jerome | 515 | 1943 | USA | 108.9 | 168 | 162.5 | 185 | Munich, FRG | 1972.09.04 |
163 | Bradford, Jim | 512.5 | 1928 | USA | 122.5 | 180 | 150 | 182.5 | Rome, ITA | 1960.09.10 |
170 | Holbrook, Rick | 512.5 | 1948 | USA | 110 | 163 | 155 | 195 | Detroit, USA | 1972.06.11 |
192 | March, Bill | 507.5 | 1937 | USA | 110 | 177 | 147 | 188 | Chicago, USA | 1969.06.15 |
227 | Ashman, Dave | 500 | 1934 | USA | 121 | 150 | 150 | 201.5 | Tucson, USA | 1960.05.14 |
268 | Rouff, Tom | 500 | USA | 110 | 180 | 137.5 | 182.5 | Detroit, USA | 1972.06.11 | |
269 | Murry, Joe Jr. | 500 | USA | 110 | 1972 |
ken would have been a great powerlifter too. 2385 for him no problem. and a great physique too . calves and traps