John McNiven (weightlifter)

{{Short description|Scottish weightlifter (1935–2024)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{MedalTableTop|medals=

{{Medal|Sport | Men's weightlifting}}

{{Medal|Country | {{SCO}} }}

{{Medal|Comp|Commonwealth Games}}

{{Medal|Bronze | 1970 Edinburgh | Flyweight }}

{{Medal|Bronze | 1974 Christchurch | Flyweight }}

}}

John McNiven {{post-nominals|country=GBR-cats|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.{{cite web |url=http://www.sshf.co.uk/inductees/show/46 |title=John McNiven |publisher=Sport Scotland |year=2003 |accessdate=31 July 2013 |archive-date=20 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120194403/http://www.sshf.co.uk/inductees/show/46 |url-status=live }}

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

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.United Kingdom list: {{London Gazette |issue=53527 |date=31 December 1993 |pages=21 |display-supp=1}}{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/mcniven-lifts-an-mbe-1.726336 |title=McNiven lifts an MBE |publisher=The Herald |date=31 December 1993 |accessdate=31 July 2013 |archive-date=24 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824103322/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12702861.mcniven-lifts-an-mbe/ |url-status=live }} He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. McNiven died on 26 June 2024, at the age of 89.{{cite news |last1=Leadbetter |first1=Russell |title=Obituary: 'I was pushing my abs back in with my thumbs' |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/24495899.scottish-weightlifter-i-pushing-abs-back-thumbs/ |access-date=6 August 2024 |publisher=The Herald |date=5 August 2024}}