The 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Vancouver, British Columbia, from 30 July to 7 August 1954. This was the fifth edition of the event that would eventually become known as the Commonwealth Games, the second post-war Games, the second Canadian Games after the inaugural event in Hamilton and the first event since the name change from British Empire Games took effect in 1952. Other bids to stage the Games were received from Toronto, Montreal and Hamilton.
The main venue was the Empire Stadium, which had been specifically constructed for the games at the cost of £500,000. Work on the 25,000 seated stadium started in October 1953 and the keys were handed over to Stan Smith (General chairman of the games) on 12 July 1954.
The games were attended by 24 nations and 662 competitors. It was the first time that the games gained a television audience, when CBC and NBC transmitted pictures to an estimated 100 million North American viewers. Recordings of the games were also shown on the BBC Television Service,Radio Times listings - BBC Genome website beginning a consistent association between the BBC and the Commonwealth Games which only ended in 2026.
It was at these games that the "Miracle Mile" took place between Roger Bannister and John Landy at the Empire Stadium. This was the first time these two (and at that time the only two) sub-four-minute mile runners appeared in the same race, and also the first time two runners broke four minutes in the same race. On the same afternoon, Jim Peters, the holder of the world best time for the marathon, entered the stadium 17 minutes ahead of his nearest rival, but collapsed on his final lap, and never completed the race.
Venues
Opening and closing ceremonies: Empire Stadium, Hastings Park Aquatics: Empire Pool, University of British Columbia, West Point Grey Athletics: Empire Stadium Boxing: Exhibition Forum Cycling (track): Empire Oval (Broadway Bowl) Cycling (road): 1155 East Broadway Fencing: Lord Byng School Gym, West Point Grey Lawn bowls: West Point Grey Bowling Club, New Westminster Lawn Bowling Club Rowing: Vedder Canal, Chilliwack Weightlifting: Exhibition Garden, Hastings Park Wrestling: Kerrisdale Arena Athletes' Village: University of British Columbia, West Point Grey
Participating teams
24 teams were represented at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
Australia : first appearance : first appearance
(host) England Fiji : first appearance Hong Kong India Jamaica Kenya: first appearance New Zealand Nigeria Northern Ireland : first appearance Pakistan: first appearance Scotland South Africa
Uganda: first appearance Wales
Medal table
Sports
References
External links "Vancouver 1954". Commonwealthsport.com. Commonwealth Sport. "Results and Medalists—1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games" . Thecgf.com. Commonwealth Games Federation. British Empire and Commonwealth Games, a National Film Board of Canada documentary about the 1954 Games.