The American, winner of the lightweight title at Helsinki 1952 before going onto claim the light heavyweight crown at Melbourne 1956, died due to complications from liver disease, it has been reported. 

Born in Sacramento in 1930, Kono and his family - which were of Japanese descent - were relocated during World War Two to Tulelake internment camp, where he was introduced to weightlifting.

Having burst onto the international scene with his Olympic success in Helsinki, Kono won the first of six consecutive global crowns by claiming middleweight gold at the 1953 World Weightlifting Championships in Stockholm.

Sandwiched between this run was his second Olympic triumph in Melbourne, which was followed four years later by a silver medalin the middleweight category at Rome in 1960. 

Kono’s competitive weightlifting career saw him set 26 world records, seven Olympic records and eight Pan American Games records.

He remained active in the sport following his retirement in 1964, coaching the national and Olympic teams of Mexico and West Germany before leading the United States Olympic team at Montreal 1976.

In addition to his weightlifting career, Kono was also a physique champion, winning the title of "Mr. World" in 1954 and "Mr. Universe" in 1955, 1957 and 1961.

He was inducted into the Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 1993 and is also a member of the US Olympic Hall of Fame and the Association of Oldetime Barbell and Strongmen Hall of Fame.

He was recognised as one of the "One Hundred Golden Olympians" at Atlanta 1996.