John McNiven (weightlifter)

John McNiven
Personal information
Born(1935-06-12)12 June 1935
Glasgow, Scotland
Died26 June 2024(2024-06-26) (aged 89)
Sport
SportWeightlifting
Event
Bantamweight
ClubGlasgow Sports Centre
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  Scotland
Commonwealth Games
1970 Edinburgh Flyweight
1974 Christchurch Flyweight

John McNiven MBE (12 June 1935 – 26 June 2024) was a Scottish weightlifter who competed at six Commonwealth Games, winning two bronze medals at the 1970 Commonwealth Games and the 1974 Commonwealth Games.[1]

Biography

McNiven won twenty five Scottish National championships.[1] He also competed in 18 World Masters events, winning 14 of them.[1] McNiven was the first weightlifter to receive the World Masters Hall of Fame Award in 1993.[1]

McNiven represented the Scotland team[2] at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, where he participated in 56kg bantamweight category.[3]

McNiven also worked as a fitter for Regional Railways; he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1994 New Year Honours for services to the sport of weightlifting.[4][5] He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.[1] McNiven died on 26 June 2024, at the age of 89.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "John McNiven". Sport Scotland. 2003. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  2. ^ "McGregor to captain Scotland's Empire Games team". The Scotsman. 13 June 1966. p. 14. Retrieved 14 December 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Scotland Kingston 1966". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  4. ^ United Kingdom list: "No. 53527". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 31 December 1993. p. 21.
  5. ^ "McNiven lifts an MBE". The Herald. 31 December 1993. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  6. ^ Leadbetter, Russell (5 August 2024). "Obituary: 'I was pushing my abs back in with my thumbs'". The Herald. Retrieved 6 August 2024.