Ken Patera

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameKenneth Wayne "Ken"•Patera
Used nameKen•Patera
Nick/petnamesThe Olympic Strongman
Born6 November 1943 in Portland, Oregon (USA)
Measurements186 cm / 146 kg
AffiliationsYork Barbell Club, York (USA)
NOC United States

Biography

Ken Patera won a gold medal in the Unlimited class at the 1971 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 1971 World Championships. He had also won a Pan American gold medal in 1967 in the shot put. He attended Brigham Young University where he was on the track team, placing third in the shot put at the 1967 NCAA Championship. He was sixth at the 1968 Olympic Trials, after which he concentrated on weightlifting.

Patera once famously stated that he was only defeated by Vasily Alekseyev because Alekseyev’s doctors provided him with better performance-enhancing drugs. Patera won US titles as a super-heavy in 1969-72 and was the first American to clean & jerk over 500 lbs (227 kg). He later became a well-known professional wrestler in the United States, and also competed with some success in strongman contests, finishing third in the first World’s Strongest Man event, held in 1977. Patera was one of the best known villains in professional wrestling. He wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation, National Wrestling Alliance and American Wrestling Association and in 1977 and 1981 was named “Most Hated Wrestler of the Year.” He briefly held the WWF Intercontinental Championship in 1980 and concurrently held the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship. Patera’s brother, Jack Patera, played linebacker for the Baltimore Colts, Chicago Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys in the NFL and coached the Seattle Seahawks from 1976-82.

Personal Best: SP – 20.10 (1972).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1972 Summer Olympics Weightlifting USA Ken Patera
Super-Heavyweight, Men (Olympic) AC

Special Notes