Weightlifting at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games

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Weightlifting at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Weightlifting pictogram.svg
Venue Exhibition Garden
Location Hastings Park, Vancouver, Canada
Dates30 July 1954 – 7 August 1954
  1950
1958  

Weightlifting at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games was the second appearance of Weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games. The events took place in the Exhibition Garden in Hastings Park, Vancouver, Canada. [1]

Contents

Canada topped the weightlifting medal table with three gold medals. [2] [3]

Doug Hepburn from Canada, the reigning world heavyweight champion was given a gold medal incentive by city hall, that of building a new gym in the city but despite his victory it never materialised. [4]

The Exhibition Garden building in Hastings Park was the venue for the weightlifting Exhibition Garden building in Hastings Park, Vancouver 1940.png
The Exhibition Garden building in Hastings Park was the venue for the weightlifting

Medal table

  *   Host nation (Canada)

Medals won by nation with totals, ranked by number of golds—sortable
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Canada *3205
2Flag of England.svg  England 2114
3Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889-1958).svg  Trinidad and Tobago 1203
4Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1012
5Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa 0112
6Flag of Barbados (1870-1966).svg  Barbados 0101
7Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 0022
8Flag of British Guiana (1955-1966).svg  British Guiana 0011
Flag of Wales (1953-1959).svg  Wales 0011
10Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica 0000
Flag of Northern Rhodesia (1939-1953).svg  Northern Rhodesia 0000
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 0000
Flag of Southern Rhodesia.svg  Southern Rhodesia 0000
Totals (13 entries)77721

Medal winners

EventGoldSilverBronze
BantamweightFlag of England.svg  Maurice Megennis  (ENG)Flag of England.svg  Frank Cope  (ENG)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Keith Caple  (AUS)
FeatherweightFlag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889-1958).svg  Rodney Wilkes  (TRI)Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Jules Sylvain  (CAN)Flag of Wales (1953-1959).svg  Ron Jenkins  (WAL)
LightweightFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Vern Barberis  (AUS)Flag of Barbados (1870-1966).svg  George Nicholls  (BAR)Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  Jan Pieterse  (SAF)
MiddleweightFlag of England.svg  Jim Halliday  (ENG)Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889-1958).svg  Lionel de Freitas  (TRI)Flag of British Guiana (1955-1966).svg  Julius Park  (BGU)
Light HeavyweightCanadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Gerry Gratton  (CAN)Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  Louis Greeff  (SAF)Flag of New Zealand.svg  Tony George  (NZL)
Middle HeavyweightCanadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Keevil Daly  (CAN)Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889-1958).svg  Lennox Kilgour  (TRI)Flag of England.svg  Joseph Barnett  (ENG)
HeavyweightCanadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Doug Hepburn  (CAN)Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Dave Baillie  (CAN)Flag of New Zealand.svg  Harold Cleghorn  (NZL)

Results

1954 Games event taking place.
Attribution:Province newspaper 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, weighltifting Exhibition Gardens.png
1954 Games event taking place.
Attribution:Province newspaper

[5] [6]

Bantamweight 56kg

PosAthleteWeight
1 Flag of England.svg Maurice Megennis 620 lb
2 Flag of England.svg Frank Cope 610 lb
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Keith Caple 605 lb
4 Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg L. Spence 600 lb
5 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Reg Gaffley dnf

Featherweight 60kg

PosAthleteWeight
1 Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889-1958).svg Rodney Wilkes 690 lb
2 Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Jules Sylvain 655 lb
3 Flag of Wales (1953-1959).svg Ron Jenkins 615 lb

Lightweight 67.5kg

George Nicholls from Barbados won the silver medal.
Attribution:Province newspaper 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, weightlifter George Nicholls from Barbados.png
George Nicholls from Barbados won the silver medal.
Attribution:Province newspaper
PosAthleteWeight
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Vern Barberis 765 lb
2 Flag of Barbados (1870-1966).svg George Nicholls 760 lb
3 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Jan Pieterse 735 lb
4 Flag of Northern Rhodesia (1939-1964).svg E. Wroth 690 lb
5 Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Stan Gibson 685 lb
6 Flag of Scotland.svg Jim McIntosh 685 lb

Middleweight 75kg

PosAthleteWeight
1 Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Jim Halliday 800 lb
2 Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889-1958).svg Lionel de Freitas 755 lb
3 Flag of British Guiana (1955-1966).svg Julius Park 745 lb
4 Flag of Northern Rhodesia (1939-1964).svg Piet Viljoen 745 lb
5 Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg D. E. Heron 705 lb
6 Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Jean Dube 695 lb
7 Flag of Southern Rhodesia (1924-1964).svg A. Oxden-Willows 680 lb
8 Flag of Southern Rhodesia (1924-1964).svg J. B. Rich 680 lb

Light Heavyweight 82.5kg

PosAthleteWeight
1 Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Gerry Gratton 890 lb
2 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Louis Greeff 810 lb
3 Flag of New Zealand.svg Tony George 780 lb
4 Flag of England.svg Sydney Harrington 765 lb
5 Flag of Scotland.svg Phil Caira 765 lb
6 Flag of Pakistan.svg M. I. Butt 750 lb

Middle Heavyweight 90kg

PosAthleteWeight
1 Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Keevil Daly 880 lb
2 Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889-1958).svg Lennox Kilgour 865 lb
3 Flag of England.svg Mel Barnett 830 lb
4 Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (1889-1958).svg Harrison Skeete 815 lb
5 Flag of New Zealand.svg Trevor Clark 790 lb
6 Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg Algernon S. Taffe 755 lb
7 Flag of Wales (1953-1959).svg Alwyn A. Evans 745 lb
8 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken McDonald dnf

Heavyweight 110kg

PosAthleteWeight
1 Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Doug Hepburn 1040 lb
2 Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Dave Baillie 1000 lb
3 Flag of New Zealand.svg Harold Cleghorn 930 lb

References

  1. "Tuesday at the BEG". Vancouver Sun. 2 August 1954. p. 12. Retrieved 26 September 2025 via Google Newspapers.
  2. "Medal Standings Vancouver 1954". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  3. "Commonwealth Games Medallists - Weightlifting". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  4. "The Mega-event that Set a Pace for Vancouver". The Tyee. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  5. "Empire Games details" . Daily News (London). 4 August 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 25 September 2025 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Weight-lifting" . Birmingham Daily Post. 4 August 1954. p. 8. Retrieved 25 September 2025 via British Newspaper Archive.

See also