 Lamar
Gant
1999 Greater Flint
Afro-American Hall of Fame Inductee
Category: WEIGHTLIFTING
Parents: Doris and Herbert Gant
Lamar grew up on the north side of Flint and attended Jefferson Elementary
School, Bryant Junior High and graduated from Flint Northwestern High
School.
While at Bryant Junior High, a student teacher noticed the eighth
grader's muscular frame and urged him to take up powerlifting.
Since that time, Lamar has established himself as one of the greatest
powerlifters in the world.
In high school, he established a record with 1,013 points and emerged
as the best lifter in the annual city powerlift meet. At 123 pounds
he lifted 510 pounds in a dead lift to tie a listed world record. In
1973, at the age of 16, the youngest ever to compete in a world meet,
Lamar placed second in the 123 pound division of the World Powerlifting
Championship in Harrisburg, Pa.
In 1974, Lamar set his first world record, a dead lift of 524.5 pounds
in the 123 pound class at the Flint Olympian Games.
Sports Illustrated wrote an article on Lamar and it read "He
bends, but he doesn't break." Over a nine year period he has won
nine world championships in the 123 and 132 pound classes. He is one
of only three powerlifters who has nine or more world titles.
At a body weight of 121 pounds, Lamar hoisted 500 pounds. He has traveled
to dozens of countries, and has broken 26 world records.
Lamar has been world champion 15 times from 1975-1990, and is considered
America's most successful powerlifter of all time. Lamar resides in
Denver, Colorado.
Championships:
| Year |
Wt. |
Location |
| 1975 |
123 |
Birmingham, England |
| 1976 |
123 |
New York |
| 1977 |
123 |
Pert, Australia |
| 1978 |
132 |
Turku, Finland |
| 1979 |
123 |
Dayton, Ohio |
| 1980 |
132 |
Arlington, Texas |
| 1981 |
132 |
Calcutta, India |
| 1982 |
123 |
Munich, Germany |
| 1983 |
123 |
Gothenburg, Sweden |
| 1984 |
123 |
Dallas, Texas |
| 1986 |
132 |
Hague, Holland |
| 1987 |
132 |
Fredrikstad, Norway |
| 1988 |
132 |
Perth, Australia |
| 1989 |
132 |
Sydney, Canada |
| 1990 |
132 |
Hague, Holland |
Lamar, you have made your mark in Flint's sports history.
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