Doug Hepburn

Doug Hepburn medal table
Weightlifter
Canada
World Championship
gold	1953 Stockholm	Heavy
Commonwealth Games
gold	1954 Vancouver	Heavy

Doug Hepburn (born September 16, 1926 in Vancouver , † November 22, 2000 ) was a Canadian weightlifter .

Career

Doug Hepburn was born with an eye disorder ( squint ) and a slight clubfoot . Nevertheless, he did a lot of sports as a child and teenager. It was his goal from the beginning to become as strong as possible. At the age of 16, he met Doug Poppell, a bodybuilderwho gave him a lot of valuable training advice that Doug would use in the future. In 1943 he was operated on his eyes and a little later on his diseased foot. The damage to his foot could not be completely repaired, he was always handicapped in his sport, weightlifting and powerlifting. In 1950 he set the first Canadian record for two-armed pushing with 147.5 kg. On November 15, 1950, in Vancouver, he showed tremendous strength when he pressed 155 kg with both arms, managed 180 kg in the bench press and did 250 kg squats.

In December 1950, Doug moved to New York to join Joe Weider , a bodybuilding manager and sports school owner. There he trained with Abe Goldberg and Marvin Eder , two famous strength athletes. During this time he had specialized almost exclusively in strength exercises and hardly practiced the Olympic three-way battle (OD). In 1953, however, he devoted himself to the OD with full strength and started at the World Weightlifting Championships in Stockholm . There he achieved a sensational victory over double Olympic champion and six-time world champion John Davis , USA .

In 1954 he showed again sensational performance in powerlifting . He pressed 255 kg on the bench and pushed away from his chest after helpers had transferred the dumbbell, 222.5 kg in height.

In 1954 he resigned from competitive sports and worked as a professional strength athlete who continued to show phenomenal performance for years, and in American wrestling .

International success

(WM = world championships)

• 1953, 1st place , World Championships in Stockholm , S, with 467.5 kg (167.5-135-165), ahead of John Davis, USA, 457.5 kg and Humberto Selvetti , Argentina , 450 kg;
• 1954, 1st place , Commonwealth Games in Vancouver , S, weighing 470 kg (167.5-135-167.5).

World records

when pressing with both arms:

• 153.5 kg, 1951 in New York ,
• 156.5 kg, 1951 in Montreal ,
• 160 kg, 1952 in Ottawa ,
• 163 kg, 1953 in Ottawa,
• 165.5 kg, 1953 in York ,
• 166.5 kg, 1953 in Baltimore ,
• 168.5 kg, 1953 in Stockholm ,
• 172.5 kg, 1954 in Vancouver.

Web links

• Doug Hepburn as a wrestler