“Be a contributor, not a complainer.” As you’ll read in the coming pages, those were Jim Schmitz’s final words in this interview. And I couldn’t imagine a better sign-off to encapsulate his time in USA weightlifting.
 
Hopefully, you all read last month’s issue of Performance Menu, where we gave you the first installment of our two-part interview with Jim. If you didn’t read it, let me give you a quick recap of his legendary track record in our sport. USAW Hall of Fame coach with more national champions and Olympians than anybody in our country…Olympic Team Coach…President of USA Weightlifting…IWF Executive Board member…owner of the legendary Sports Palace gym in San Francisco…involved in weightlifting since the 1960s…and I could go on. Nobody in the sport of Olympic weightlifting has a deeper resume than Jim Schmitz, maybe in any country in the world. To sum it up as simply as possible, he’s probably the most significant figure in American Olympic weightlifting since Bob Hoffman.
 
In last month’s interview, we learned mainly about Jim’s personal history and coaching experience. It was enough to fill an entire issue, hence the second part you’re reading today. This month, we’re going to hear about the administrative element of his career, along with his thoughts on the ever-changing landscape of Olympic weightlifting, and the precarious position we’re in for the future. Those of you who follow the sport probably realize that we’re hanging by a thread with the International Olympic Committee, with the very real possibility of the word “Olympic” being removed from our name in the coming years, due to the doping epidemic and the International Weightlifting Federation’s refusal to fight the problem. Doping has been killing our sport for decades, and Jim was one of the only higher-ups in the IWF who tried to fight against it and change the tide.
 
I pushed hard to make sure I got an interview with Jim, because you’d be hard pressed to find anybody in the game with his level of insight and understanding. He’s fought the wars, on the platform and in the board meeting room, and we’re lucky to have his contribution to this magazine. Let’s see what he thinks about where we’re at.
 
You’ve held some of the highest administrative positions in our sport, both at the national and international level. What were some of the highlights from your time as an administrator? What were some of your proudest accomplishments in this area? And is there anything you wish you could have done, but didn’t?
 
You know, when you first get elected, everyone is your friend. After a few years, many are very unhappy with you because you have to make decisions they don’t like or agree with. However, I was honored and proud of my time as USAW president and IWF executive board member. For my USAW accomplishments, I like to list the hiring of George Greenway as our Executive Director. He was just fabulous. Lyn Jones as our coaching director, who started our coaching education program. The reopening of our Resident Olympic Training Center Program and the hiring of Dragomir Cioroslan as our Resident Olympic Training Center Coach. I always worked for the advancement of women’s and masters weightlifting competitions and programs.
However, many thought I didn’t do enough. I was always raising the doping problem and how to fix it at the IWF Executive Board meetings. I did this so often that I was considered a nuisance. Many USAW people were upset with me for not having success in getting the drugs out of our sport. That was 25 years ago, and we still haven’t got the drugs out of weightlifting.
 
One thing I’m very proud of is getting a full 10-man team for USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. We had only qualified 3 according to the IWF qualifying criteria at that time. I was always asking the IWF for a full team of 10 since we were the host country. This had been common practice for the host country to be allowed full teams previously and for other sports as well that didn’t fully meet the qualifying criteria. Tamas Ajan gave us two more slots for a total of five, which he thought was very generous. I then got him to agree that if weightlifting’s quota of 250 lifters wasn’t full, could USA get any available slots? He agreed, but we would have to wait for the verification of athletes meeting two days before the first day of competition when final entries were registered. Well, only 242 lifters were verified, so there were eight empty slots and then USA was able to add five more lifters for a complete team of 10. We had brought our additional five lifters to Atlanta and put them up in a motel as they couldn’t enter the Olympic Village unless they were official team members. So, it worked out and part of my agreement with Tamas was that if we got a full team, I would not run for IWF Executive Board again. There’s a lot more to that story.
 
I’m also proud that it was the IWF Executive Board that I served on that voted women’s weightlifting into the 2000 Olympics. Now I had received criticism for not getting women into the 1996 Olympics. USAW tried extremely hard and gave it a lot attention, but just couldn’t make it happen for 1996, but because of USAW’s efforts, women were included in the 2000 Olympics.
 
USA weightlifting has obviously seen massive growth and changes over the last ten years. In your opinion, what are some of the biggest positive changes we’ve seen? And I know you probably don’t want to use the word “negatives,” but are there any areas where you think US weightlifting still needs to improve and develop?
 
Yes, I am extremely happy and amazed with the tremendous growth of weightlifting. We have CrossFit and the internet to thank for that. I had always wondered why weightlifting wasn’t more popular back when I began in the 1960s. And when weight training finally got accepted as the way to train for sports, health, and fitness in the 1970s, weightlifting wasn’t included. I guess it was thought of as a sport and not a great way to improve one’s strength, power, and speed, which would enhance one’s athletic ability and carry over to all sports.
 
So, the positive changes are many as the more people do weightlifting, more people can make a living lifting, coaching, administrating, manufacturing and selling equipment. And the more people you get into weightlifting, the greater the chances of finding the talent that can compete at the World and Olympic level.
 
One thing that I find as just amazing is how much women love weightlifting. Men too, but I think women seem to enjoy it more or at least are more demonstrative of their love of weightlifting. One of the big reasons for the tremendous growth of women’s weightlifting is that there are bodyweight categories. Other than the combative sports, there aren’t women’s sports with bodyweight categories. Weightlifting develops very attractive, athletic bodies for women and of course men too, which is another plus.
 
My only negative is I don’t like how so many lifters abuse the barbell by dropping or throwing it down. This might just be my age, because when I started we had to lower the bar under control, no dropping. Of course, we were lifting on iron weights then. When the rubber bumper plates came on the scene in the late 60s, the rule was changed and you had to keep your hands on the bar until it was at your waist. Then around 2000 or so, the rule was changed to you could release your grip at your shoulders. And that’s where I feel the abuse of the barbell started. Then CrossFit came on the scene and they were really throwing and slamming the barbell. At the Worlds and Olympics, TV always shows the champions throwing their bar down in the thrill of victory. So, people think this is okay as I see beginners and low level and mediocre lifters dropping weights from shoulders or even from overhead. This bothers me because I have many broken bars and plates over the years from normal use and not abuse, they just wore out from repeated use over the years. So, if you abuse your barbell and weights, they will break and wear out sooner, costing a lot of money to replace. Also, dropping weights wears out floors, so you have to first be in a very strong secure building ground level or in the basement. Then you need a strong sturdy platform. I’ve had to move several times in 53+ years in the gym business and the toughest part was finding a building that could take the pounding and the noise. And finally, I look at the barbell as a sacred tool that can give you great results in life, sports, and weightlifting, so treat it with respect. So, in my gym you keep your hands on the bar until at your waist and you catch it on one bounce!
 
Olympic weightlifting is in a difficult position, with the reduced number of athlete spots at the Tokyo and Paris Games and the possibility of removal from the Olympics altogether. You’ve got a deeper understanding of the sport and its politics than anybody alive. Is there anything the sport can/should do to improve its chances of survival?
 
I have now been involved in weightlifting since 1960. When I began, weightlifting was a very minor sport in the US and actually around the world. The sport has grown tremendously since 2000. Unfortunately, weightlifting hasn’t been able to kick its drug habit, which I think got its start in the 1960’s. Drugs (primarily anabolic steroids) weren’t officially banned until 1976. Since then, it’s been a cops versus robbers or testers versus cheaters game. I’m so disappointed that the Eastern European and Asian countries haven’t really tried to train and compete clean. I like to think that USA has been clean since 1988. What I mean by clean is having never taken performance enhancing drugs. I consider three types of “clean” lifters: 1) Never ever taken PEDs, 2) Not taking then now, 3) Passed the drug test. Now we’re not perfect. Since 1988, USA has had some top lifters fail their drug tests, but about 95+% of USA weightlifters have never tasted the anabolic steroids. Many other countries are the same as USA. In fact, that is why at the 2019 World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, so many lifters from different countries won medals. And the anabolic countries either weren’t there or had cleaned up their lifters and their performance level was considerably down.
 
So, I think and hope that if all the IWF countries can go clean, meaning not touching PEDs ever, weightlifting should be able to increase its participation numbers at the Olympics. I use USA as an example. Our numbers at all levels have increased tremendously in recent years, not only due to CrossFit and the internet, but because we offer a clean, healthy sport and that’s especially attractive to parents. Weightlifting deserves more athletes at the Olympics because of how popular it is worldwide. There are more countries participating in national, regional, and continental championships than ever before.
 
So, I think in order to totally clean up our sport, if a country has two positives within 12 months, the lifters must be suspended at least four years and miss one Olympics. And coaches should face the same suspension. Technical officials and members of IWF committees should be suspended two years if their country has two or more positives within 12 months.
 
I wonder how long it will take to clean up weightlifting around the world, and what weightlifting’s Olympic status will be? I hope for the best.
 
I’ve known you throughout my entire career, and I’ve always held you in the highest esteem and respect. How do you want to be remembered in weightlifting? And what would you say to the weightlifting community about the best way to live a life in this sport?
 
Well, I hope to be around long enough where weightlifting is more popular, clean and back in the Olympics with 300+ lifters, 150+ men and 150+ women. I would like to see medals and championships won by more athletes from more countries. I would also like to be coaching lifters at the highest level again. However, if that’s not going to happen, I thoroughly enjoy watching other coaches and teams having some of the experiences I’ve had. I still enjoy coaching at all levels from beginners to Olympians and watching other coaches and lifters have great success. I guess I would like to see other coaches and officials have the same experiences I’ve had, only better. I’m very glad I got to meet so many icons of weightlifting: Bob Hoffman, Tommy Kono, John Davis, Norbert Schemansky, Pete George, Dick “Smitty” Smith, Judy Glenney (the mother of woman’s weightlifting), Tamas Ajan, Vasily Alekseyev, Yoshinobu Miyake, David Rigert, Yurik Vardanyan, Waldemar Baszanowski, Naim Suleymanoglu, Pyrros Dimas, and Halil Mutlu. Those are just a few of the great weighting people I’ve met, got to see in action, and learn from.
 
I’m very proud of all those that I coached and maybe influenced who have gone on to become coaches, officials, meet directors, supporters, and fans of the greatest of all strength and power sports, Olympic Weightlifting. There are too many to name, but several have gone on to develop national and international weightlifters.
 
I guess I would like to be remembered as someone who loved and lived weightlifting to the fullest possible. The best way to live a life in weightlifting is to lift, coach, officiate, administrate, sponsor, participate or spectate at whatever level you can. Be a contributor, not a complainer!
 
Jim, on behalf of everybody in this sport, thank you for everything you’ve done. You’ve dedicated your life to weightlifting, on every level imaginable. You’ve done it all for the sheer love of the game, and you’ve been an inspiration to me and everybody I know in USAW. Enjoy your success, and best of luck with everything in your future.