The Post-Journal

Reinhoudt To Coach American Powerlifting Team In Pan-Am Games

Don Reinhoudst of Brocton, four times world powerlifting champion, has received a new honor. Don has been asked by the AAU to coach the 1979 American powerliftingteam for the Pan-American Games. This portion of the games is scheduled May 26, 27 and 28 at Hamilton, Ont. "I consider it a great honor to be named for this important post in international athletics and hope we can bring a victory home to the United States," the soft-spoken Reinhoudt said during a telephone conversation this week.

Reinhoudt is one of the superstars of modern powerlifting. He is 34 years old, stands 6-3, weighs 345 pounds, has a 22-inch neck, 60-inch chest, and 23- inch upper arms. The former Fredonia resident, now living in Brocton, is an accountant and at present is health teacher at the Cassadaga Job Corps Center.

The big fellow won the world powerlifting title in 1973-74-75-76. He set 28 world records and a like number of American records during those four years. Reinhoudt holds the world's record in the deadlift, 885-1/2 pounds, bench press, 606-1/2, and squat, 935, a total of 2,427 pounds. He placed third in the World's Strongest Man competition filmed in California for TV last year and will be competing in the same event this year. The TV competition is not powerlifting. It consists of such events as the barrel lift, steel bar bending, car lift, vehicle pull, girl lift, refrigerator race and tug-of-war.

On June 17, Don will stage his first exhibition in this area. It is scheduled at the Dunkirk-Fredonia YMCA. Reinhoudt will be trying to break one of barriers in lifting, the 900-pound deadlift. The feat has never been accomplished. "I have tried it several times in the gym workouts and usually get the bar up close to my knees, but I never have been able to complete the lift by straightening up," he explained. Don is now a pro and hopes to be ready for the World's Strongest Man competition where the payoffs total more than $25,000.


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