1955 FHIC Mr Universe

by Bob Hoffman

(excerpts from Report on World Weight-lifting Championships, page 8)

Many of our readers will wonder why the Physique portion of the 1955 World WL Championships is titled the MR. UNIVERSE contest. In 1952, at Helsinki, when Dietrich Wortmann was President of the International Federation, it was decided that the organization would hold a Best Developed Man competition in connection with future WL events. This same year, a change was made in the title of the organization, The International Federation of Weight Lifting ...AND PHYSICAL CULTURE.

This year at Munich a decision was made to call the contest MR. UNIVERSE instead of Plus Belle Athlete du Mounde, as in former years. French rules were adopted and used in this year's championships. In future, contestants will be required to lift thrice-bodyweight in the Olympic Lifts. However in the Munich competition, the entrants were expected to either turn a front handspring or perform a handstand to show agility. Some of them practically failed the test, and thus lost points. Changes will undoubtedly be made next year in these requirements and in the method of scoring.

There were seven judges for the MR. UNIVERSE contest, including President Nyberg of Finland, Joe Dixon of England, Naderi of Iran, and several others. Unfortunately I have not my report at hand on this contest, since it was stolen, along with various books and photos of Clarence Johnson's, on the last night of the competition.

Twenty-one men from more than a dozen countries took part in the contest, and it was well-staged and regulated. We placed Kono and Vinci in the competition as USA representatives, since Steve Klisanin, our indented entry, had run into various delays and difficulties in getting official approval to fly over in time for the contest.

At the end of the first section of the posing, Tommy Kono led Robin of France by a narrow margin, with Keevil Daly, of Canada in third place. Lees, of England, who placed second in the recent H & S Mr. Universe Show in London in the Amateur Division, was fourth, with Namdjou of Iran in fifth position. Points were Kono 87 1/2, Robin 86, Daly 77, Lees 71, Arabi (Egypt) 69 and Namdjou 66. Vinci of USA came next with 56 points. However, in Muscle Control and Posing, Kono ran his points up to 131 to Robin's 123, and when the final total was added, which included points for athletic ability, Kono was far ahead with 166 to 153.

Many nations considered the physique part of the program the most important feature. India entered just one lifter, but had two physique contestants. Egypt brought four lifters and four bodybuilders. Although the Russians won the Team Contest in Weight-lifting with four first to our three, and 29 points to 25, this part of the over-all program gave us another first.

Mr. Nyberg, of Finland, issued a statement to the press that the Mr. Universe contest was not a sporting event but was a Beauty contest. He seems to forget the fact that Mr. Universe portion of the championships was set up and planned by the organization he has the honor to head - The International Federation of Weight-Lifting and Physical Culture (which means Physique). He said that the Mr. U contest was held after and separately from the regular championships - yet the meeting was scheduled from the 12th, October through the 17th.

Points scored, including this competition, would give the USA 30, Russia 29, Egypt 4, France 3, Iran 2, Canada 1, Finland 1, Sweden 1, Burma 1.