Olympian Paul Anderson Dies

Paul Anderson, 61, once recognized as the strongest man in the world, died Monday at a Vidalia, Ga., hospital after a long struggle with kidney failure and arthritis.

Anderson set nine world records and 18 American records in weightlifting in the 1950s.

He won a gold medal in the 1956 Olympics at Melbourne, Australia, and set three Olympic records. He is the last American heavyweight to have won an Olympic gold medal.

He is still listed in “The Guinness Book of World Records” for having lifted the most weight with his back in 1957--6,270 pounds.

Anderson’s other feats included lifting a table with half a dozen people on top, the rear end of a pickup truck loaded with horses and a carousel with children sitting on ponies.

Anderson’s health problems started in 1983 and he later received a kidney from his sister, Dorothy Johnson. Anderson almost died when his colon ruptured a year later and he was in a coma for 10 days.

Miscellany

A Nigerian track athlete was sent home from the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, when steroids were found in his suitcase. A Nigerian team official would not release the athlete’s name but a British news agency identified the runner as Udeme Ekpeyong, a member of Nigeria’s 1,600-meter relay team.

Final bids on the NHL champion New York Rangers, NBA finalist New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden and its cable network are due today.