Isaac Berger

Isaac "Ike" Berger (November 16, 1936 – June 4, 2022) was an American weightlifter, who competed for the United States at the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won one gold and two silver medals. He held eight world records (four official and four unofficial), and won the United States national title eight times.[1][2]

Isaac Berger
Berger at the 1964 Olympics
Personal information
BornNovember 16, 1936 (1936-11-16)
Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine[1]
DiedJune 4, 2022(2022-06-04) (aged 85)
Height157 cm (5 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight59–60 kg (130–132 lb)[1]
Sport
SportWeightlifting
ClubYork Barbell Club
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1956 Melbourne-60 kg
Silver medal – second place1960 Rome-60 kg
Silver medal – second place1964 Tokyo-60 kg
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place1957 Teheran-60 kg
Gold medal – first place1958 Stockholm-60 kg
Silver medal – second place1959 Warsaw-60 kg
Gold medal – first place1961 Vienna-60 kg
Silver medal – second place1963 Stockholm-60 kg
Silver medal – second place1964 Tokyo-60 kg
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place1959 Chicago-60 kg
Gold medal – first place1963 São Paulo-60 kg

Berger was born to a rabbi in Jerusalem, where he studied in a yeshiva.[3][4] He immigrated to the United States when he was in his teens,[5] and became a naturalized American citizen in December 1955.[1]

Berger was the first featherweight in history to lift more than 800 pounds (360 kg), and the first to press double his body weight.[6] He twice won the world championships and the Pan American Games.[5]

In his gold medal performance at the 1957 Maccabiah Games, Berger was the first (and only one until 1998) athlete to set a world record on Israeli land in any sport. He pressed 117 kilograms (258 lb).[6]

Berger was named to the United States Weightlifters Hall of Fame in 1965,[6] and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.[3] He died on June 4, 2022.[7][8]

See also

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ike Berger". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  2. Isaac Berger. chidlovski.net
  3. "Isaac "Ike" Berger". International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  4. "Berger Sets Weight-Lift Record In Finale of Maccabiah Games; Emigrated to U.S. in 1949 Athletes Hear Premier". The New York Times.
  5. "Berger, Isaac: Weightlifting". HickokSports.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  6. "Berger, Isaac 'Ike'". Jews in Sports. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  7. "Jewish featherweight champion, Olympic medalist Isaac 'Ike' Berger dead at 85". The Times of Israel.
  8. "Legendary Weightlifter Isaac 'Ike' Berger Has Passed Away At 85". June 8, 2022.

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