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Precious McKenzie - South African Weight-lifter

How the bantamweight weightlifter, Precious McKenzie, escaped apartheid in South Africa and eventually achieved international success

The diminutive weight-lifter, Precious McKenzie, was a prodigious talent, but apartheid prevented him from competing for South Africa.

Precious had to move to Britain and work in a factory in Northampton.

While doing so, he finally achieved international success at the 1966 Commonwealth Games.

Precious went on to become a familiar figure on British TV in the 1970s.

Emily Williams talks to him for Sporting Witness.

PHOTO: Precious McKenzie shows off his medal collection (Hulton Archive/Getty Images).

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Mon 21 Nov 2011 03:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 18 Nov 2011 23:50GMT
  • Sat 19 Nov 2011 06:50GMT
  • Sun 20 Nov 2011 22:50GMT
  • Mon 21 Nov 2011 03:50GMT

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