Mario Martinez Passes On

Martinez started his weightlifting career lifting on 5-foot exercise bars with non-revolving sleeves, and when he was a teenager did 6 sets of 6 in the clean and jerk with 295 pounds with such a bar. He eventually moved to San Francisco to train with legendary coach Jim Schmitz, who was featured in our Spring 2002 edition.

Under Schmitz’s coaching, Martinez competed in three Olympics and won a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics, the last American man to win an Olympic medal. Martinez won 10 national championships, broke several American records, and was the second American to snatch 400 pounds and clean and jerk 500 pounds, eventually doing 415 and 513 pounds. A humble champion, Martinez passed on this year at the age of 60.