John Paine

At Camberwell Palace in 1919, John Paine finished second to six-times British amateur champion Jack Hayes. Paine’s performance was even better than it looked because Hayes broke three world amateur records during the event. Paine went to the 1920 Antwerpen Olympics and competed in the featherweight division. He was just one of two British lifters at the Games, along with lightweight Percy Mills. Unfortunately, neither of them fared very well, and they finished way down the final placings.

Paine served in the Royal Navy during World War I (1915-19) as a seaman gunner. Before the War he worked as a representative for a shipping company, but after the hostilities became a physical training instructor.