Of all the Olympic events, weightlifting might be the most primordial. Who can lift the most weight? It's right there in the name.

The World Weightlifting Championship actually predates the Olympics; the first one was held all the way back in 1891. Back then, there were no weight classes; one weightlifter would rule them all. That one weightlifter was England's Edward Lawrence Levy.

So, how big was this giant? 5'4", 156 pounds (1.64 m, 70 kg for our continental readers). And yet, this pocket Hercules (who competed wearing glasses!) somehow outlifted opponents twice his weight. All and all, Levy set at least 14 world records.

Levy was not just a strongman; he was a newspaper editor, an educator, a journalist, a historian, and a synagogue choirmaster. He even participated in the inaugural Olympics in 1896... but as a referee, not a competitor.

Too bad, he probably would have won that as well.