"We think it's the oldest continually operating weightlifting contest in the country," Jim Schmitz said, "and all of our top lifters have won it."


Shown lifting at the 1991 World Weightlifting Championships, Mario Martinez (USA) won the Golden West and also got a silver medal at the Olympics . . . Who will be the next? IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"Mario Martinez, Bruce Wilhelm, Tom Gough . . . everyone but Tommy Kono who went on the Olympic level from here won this contest," Schmitz said. And with all that history behind it, plan on this year's 43rd edition to be another great one.

Lift, load, cheer or do all three - the 43rd Golden West Open is November 5th at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco and for full details, please check the contest website.