THE FIRST HORS-CLASS ITALIAN CHAMPION : ENRICO SCURI
(Reprinted with permission from MILO: A Journal for Serious Strength Athletes, March 2005, Vol. 12, No. 4, by IronMind Enterprises, Inc.)
In the nineteenth century, various Italian strongmen acquired fame abroad. In the late 1880s, following the impulse given by gymnastic societies, the spectators became increasingly interested to strength sport. Enrico Scuri was the first hero of weightlifting, undoubtedly a top-class champion ; however, he did not acquire fame outside his home country borders.
Enrico Astolfo Scuri was born in Corpi Santi, near Pavia, Lombardy, on 9 May 1868, the son of the owner of a firm producing cheeses. In 1886, he affiliated to Società Ginnastica Pavese (Pavia’s gymnastic society) and, as is usual for athletes, he competed in various sports : wrestling, weightlfiting, running, jumping, and tug-of-war. At the extraordinary Milan’s National Gymnastic Festival in August 1890, Scuri displayed his skill, winning the weightlifting and wrestling, as well as the 150 meters flat race in 16.0, an excellent time. The three competitions were part of an overall event in which Scuri placed eighth.
In August 1892, Genoa organised Columbus Festival for celebrate 400 years of America’s discovery. On that occasion, the Italian gymnastic federation assigned the title of Italian champion among the gymnastic societies for each sport and Scuri won weightlifting and shot put. In 1895, Scuri confirmed his national ‘gymnastic’ title. Finally, on the premises of the Club Atletico Milanese (Milan Athletic Club), the Marquis Monticelli Obizzi organised the first Italian weightlfting championship on 2 May 1897. Scuri won the title lifting 110 kilos in two hands press and 120 in two hands jerk.
In 1898, Scuri held onto the title, lifting, among other performances, for nine times in military position a bar of 90 kilos. The leading journal, Gazzetta dello Sport, introduced Scuri to the readers : high 1.76 (5’- 9”), weight 102 kilos (225 pounds), uninflated chest 120 cm (47 in.), thigh 67 cm (26-1/2 in.), calf 44 cm (17 in.), biceps 44 cm (17 in.), forerarm 36 cm (14 in.c), neck 47 cm (18 in.). In his training method, Scuri integrated Sandow’s teachings of. repeated exercises with minimal weights, with those more consistent with Obizzi’s suggestions, training bi-weekly with heavier weights. Eggs, many salads, and few meats composed his diet.
In April 1899, Obizzi organised in Milan a great three-day weightlifting festival, including the Italian championship which Scuri neatly won, and on 4 April an international championships, which later (1989) the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) re-classified as a World championships. Here, Scuri competed against the Russian Elissejew and Germans Rödl, Schneider and Schrieder, placing third and establishing two Italian records in two hands press with 115 and two hands jerk with 130. As did his opponents, Scuri lifted continental style, but with very fair moves from waist to chest, not indulging at all in back bends and rolling the bar up the belly, which Obizzi did not allow.
Initially the 1900 Paris Olympics had scheduled weightlifting, but later the competition was cancelled. Scuri would have been among participants. However, that same year, he competed while injured at the Italian championships, ending as runner-up. He regained the title in 1901, pressing in military position two times in succession 110 kilos and jerking three times in succession 135 !!
Accustomed to Obizzi’s stringent standards, Italian lifters executed weightlifting moves having very commendable body positions and pushing off the bar from waist to shoulder with very clean technique, so their performances were first-class among continental-styled lifters, like Türk and Beck. Obizzi tolerated the continental style, but recommended the orthodox clean and jerk technique that Desbonnet preached in France. It was relatively easy for Scuri reach good results also in orthodox style. On 26 July 1901 he cleaned and pressed 125 kilos and cleaned and jerked 144 kilos. Desbonnet never recognized these two feats, authentic World records.
The seasons 1902 and 1903 represented a career apogee for Scuri, then over thirty but in full athletic maturity. In Pavia on 18 May 1902, Scuri claimed the European record of two hands devissé, the French version of bent press, lifting a bar of 125 kilos ; and in June he won the Bavarian open championships beating home idol Andreas Mayer, later European champion in 1903. On 23 June in Milan, he elevated 150 kilos in two hands jerk and 125 in two hands press, both in continental style, which was easier and more practicised than the textbook style.
Albeit in continental style, Scuri left a significant mark on the history of Italian and international weightlifting with his performances at the Academy of Pavia on 28 May 1903 in front of an immense and enthusiastic crowd. He established three Italian records, respectively, right hand jerk of 85 kilos, two hands press of 132, and two hands jerk of 153. He approached the World records held by continental lifters : Beck’s press of 133.5 kilos and Türk’s jerk of 160.5 kilos.
Scuri gave another demonstration of power, in Arona, 18 August 1903, lifting 115 kilos in two hands snatch ! Again, the Frenchmen ignored that record and continued to recognize the 110 kilos performed by Maspoli. Unfortunately, after his apogee, in 1904 Scuri lost his energy, becoming fatter then unfit for sport. He died in Pavia on 26 September 1935.