Charles Vinci

Charles Thomas Vinci Jr. (February 28, 1933 – June 13, 2018) was an American weightlifter and Olympic champion.^[2] Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Vinci was the United States Senior National Champion from 1954 to 1956 and from 1958 to 1961. He received silver medals in the 1955 and 1958 world championships. He won gold medals at the 1955 and 1959 Pan American games. He won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne,^[3] with a world-record three-lift (snatch, clean and jerk, overhead press) total of 342.5 kilograms (755.1 lb).^[4] Just prior to weighing-in, Vinci was 1.5 pounds overweight. After an hour of running and sweating, he was still seven ounces over the limit, but a severe last-minute haircut saw him make the weight limit.^[5] He won gold again at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.^[6]

Charles Vinci

Charles Vinci
Personal information
Nickname	Mighty Mite
Born	(1933-02-28)February 28, 1933 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	June 13, 2018(2018-06-13) (aged 85) Elyria, Ohio, U.S.
Height	4 ft 11+1⁄2 in (151 cm)[1]
Weight	123 lb (56 kg)[1]
Medal record Men's weightlifting Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1956 Melbourne Bantamweight 1960 Rome Bantamweight World Championships 1955 Munich Bantamweight 1958 Stockholm Bantamweight Pan American Games 1955 Mexico City Bantamweight 1959 Chicago Bantamweight

During his career, Vinci set 12 world records in the bantamweight class, between 1955 and 1960. He held records in snatch, in clean and jerk and in press, as well as in total (3).

He died in Elyria, Ohio at the age of 85.^[2]

References

1. "Chuck Vinci". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
2. "Clevelander, Olympian Chuck Vinci passes away at 85". 13 June 2018.
3. "1956 Summer Olympics – Melbourne, Australia – Weightlifting" Archived 2007-08-27 at the Wayback Machine – databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on February 20, 2008)
4. "Charles T. Vinci". britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
5. Wallechinsky, David (1984). The Complete Book of the Olympics. England: Penguin Books. p. 464. ISBN 0140066322.
6. "1960 Summer Olympics – Rome, Italy – Weightlifting" Archived 2007-08-30 at the Wayback Machine – databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on February 20, 2008)

External links

• Chuck Vinci – Hall of Fame at Weightlifting Exchange
• Charles Vinci at the International Weightlifting Results Project
• Charles Vinci at Olympics.com
• Charles Vinci at Olympedia