Harold Wood

Harold Wood, born Harold Montague Kirwood, was a prolific weightlifter and, in addition to winning the British heavyweight title every year from 1924-31, set countless British records, including 19 different heavyweight records in one year, 1929, in the days when weightlifting records consisted of more than just the press, snatch, and clean and jerk. On one day at Battersea in 1927 he broke 10 records, which was dubbed as a “record of records” at the time. He was still breaking records in his mid-40s and in 1935, at the age of 45, Wood took part in the British championship, finishing second to Ron Walker, the man who had replaced Wood as champion in 1932.

At the age of 10, Wood was a keen gymnast, and it was not until the age of 20 that he took up weightlifting, when he was introduced to the sport by the Swiss lifter Albert Soguel. Wood was also a keen wrestler before turning to weightlifting, and in January 1925 briefly returned to “grappling”. In his two Olympic appearances, Wood broke six Olympic records, four in 1924 and two in 1928. By profession, Wood was a rat catcher.