1. George Michael Frenn was an American hammer thrower, weight thrower and powerlifter.
15 Facts About George Frenn
2.
George Frenn took up track and field in 1957 at North Hollywood High School, initially competing as a runner rather than a thrower.
3.
George Frenn got interested in hammer throwing in 1959 after seeing Olympic champion and world record holder Hal Connolly throw in a local meet.
4.
George Frenn suffered an injury in April 1964 and lost his best form; he returned to the NCAA championships, this time throwing for Long Beach State, but again only placed sixth.
5.
George Frenn slipped from third to ninth in the United States and failed to qualify for the 1964 Summer Olympics, although with the emergence of Ed Burke as a third top thrower alongside Hall and Connolly, making the Olympic team would in any case have required Frenn to improve his personal best considerably.
6.
George Frenn injured his back in training in August 1965, and then his leg just before the 1966 national indoor championships, where he would have competed in the 35-lb weight throw.
7.
George Frenn appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated's July 6,1970, issue.
8.
George Frenn remained a top weight thrower, however; between 1970 and 1977 he won six indoor national titles, only missing out in 1974 and in 1976, when he was a close second behind Larry Hart.
9.
George Frenn announced his retirement from track and field after the 1980 national indoor championships.
10.
George Frenn was a good powerlifter, although he mostly approached that sport as training for hammer throwing; consequently, he concentrated on the squat and deadlift more than the bench press, as bench press was less good for his throws.
11.
George Frenn helped promote powerlifting and challenged the authority of Bob Hoffman in the sport; with Joe Weider, George Frenn organized one of the first international powerlifting meets, a competition between American and British lifters, in 1970 despite opposition from Hoffman.
12.
George Frenn competed in the first World's Strongest Man contest in 1977, but placed eighth and last.
13.
George Frenn worked as a high school teacher in California for thirty-two years.
14.
George Frenn worked at Cerritos High School in Cerritos, California, where he was both a weightlifting coach and science teacher.
15.
George Frenn, who was not homosexual, later regretted this, as being mistaken for gay interfered with his teaching and social relationships.