Alex McAfee

Alex McAfee
Personal information
NationalityBritish (Northern Irish)
Born
Northern Ireland
Sport
SportWeightlifting
Event
Middleweight
ClubSt Gabriel's WC, Belfast

Alexander McAfee is a former weightlifter from Northern Ireland, who represented Northern Ireland at three Commonwealth Games.

Biography

McAfee was a member of the St Gabriel's Weigthlifting Club in Belfast,[1] whih was started by his brother Tommy McAfee,[2] who was also a prominent weightlifter.[3]

McAfee represented the 1966 Northern Irish Team[4] at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica,[5] participating in the 75kg middleweight category.[6]

By 1970, Alex had stepped up in weight category, lifting in the light-heavyweight class.[7]

He went to his second Commonwealth Games in 1970, as part of the 1970 Northern Irish Team in Edinburgh, Scotland.[8] He won the Ulster title in 1970[9] and the Irish national title in 1973.[10]

Both brothers competed at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games but upset the authorities when leaving the team camp without permission for the weekend. The incident led to a two-year ban for the brothers.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Ulster Win". Belfast Telegraph. 13 November 1967. p. 13. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "St Gabriel's still taking the strain after 60+ years". Belfast Media Group. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Secretary Sammy misses out". Belfast Telegraph. 17 February 1967. p. 21. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "No surprises in Games Team". Belfast News-Letter. 21 June 1966. p. 11. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Graham, Chivers, Neely for Jamaica". Belfast Telegraph. 13 July 1966. p. 12. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Northern Ireland Kingston 1966". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Weight-Lifting". Belfast Telegraph. 9 June 1970. p. 17. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "NI Games team is biggest ever". Belfast Telegraph. 9 June 1970. p. 17. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Ross and McAfee try again". Ireland's Saturday Night. 11 July 1970. p. 3. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Heavy thinking". Ireland's Saturday Night. 29 September 1973. p. 10. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Missing brothers turn up again". Belfast Telegraph. 28 January 1974. p. 18. Retrieved 20 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.