Yorrie Evans

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameWilliam Iorwerth "Yorrie"•Evans
Used nameYorrie•Evans
Born16 April 1923 in Llansteffan, Wales (GBR)
Died31 October 2003 in Pembroke, Wales (GBR)
Measurements68 kg
NOC Great Britain

Biography

In the late 1930s Yorrie Evans and his brother Lyn joined a troop of strongmen, acrobats and balancers, which had been started by Tommie George in the Letterston area of Pembrokeshire in 1930. They performed strength, acrobatic and gymnastic shows around the area, but Evans went on to specialise in weightlifting. He bought his first set of weights from Ludgate Circus in London and, when they were delivered by train to Letterston railway station, Evans carried them on his bicycle to his home, about five miles away.

Evans trained on the family smallholding and in 1947 he took part in his first big competition, the British Championships at Shrewsbury, and he won. He went on to become British Olympic Weightlifting champion four times. Evans competed at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and finished 18th in the lightweight division. That same year he moved to Haverfordwest and became caretaker of a local school, where he ran weight-training classes. He then started a gym in the town centre and started a weightlifting section at a local boxing club where he produced several good lifters who went on to compete in national championships.

In the 1970s Evans started the Tower Hill Gym, Haverfordwest, where one of his one of his protégées was Mary Hancock, who went on to become the British champion. Evans continued to run the Tower Hill Gym until 1998, when he was 75-years-of-age.

In 1974 Evans had the honour of being team manager and coach of the Welsh weightlifting team at the Commonwealth Games at Christchurch, New Zealand. His son Stephen began weightlifting in his early teens, and won British schoolboy, junior and student titles, and was also the senior Welsh champion. He was also the British junior record holder for the clean and jerk.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1952 Summer Olympics Weightlifting GBR Yorrie Evans
Lightweight, Men (Olympic) 18