1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games facts for kids

The 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were a big sports event. They took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The games ran from July 30 to August 7, 1954. This was the first time the event used its new name, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. The name change happened in 1952.

A super famous race called the "Miracle Mile" happened at these games. It was between two amazing runners, Roger Bannister and John Landy. They raced at Empire Stadium. This was the first time the only two runners who had run a mile in under four minutes raced each other. It was also the first time two runners broke the four-minute barrier in the same race!

On the same day, something sad happened. Jim Peters, a world-record marathon runner, entered the stadium far ahead of everyone else. He was 17 minutes in front! But he collapsed on his last lap and could not finish the race.

Overall, 24 countries and 662 athletes took part in these exciting games.

Where the Games Happened: Venues

Many different places in Vancouver hosted the events. Here are some of the main ones:

• Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics: Empire Stadium, Hastings Park
• Bowls: West Point Grey Club, New West Club
• Boxing: Exhibition Forum, Pacific National Exhibition
• Cycling: Empire Oval (Track), 1155 East Broadway (Road)
• Fencing: Lord Byng School, West Point Grey
• Rowing: Vedder Canal, Chilliwack
• Swimming and Diving: Empire Pool, University of British Columbia, West Point Grey
• Weightlifting: Exhibition Gardens, Pacific National Exhibition
• Wrestling: Kerrisdale Arena
• Athletes' Village: University of British Columbia, West Point Grey

Who Competed: Participating Teams

Countries that participated in the 1954 Games

Twenty-four teams came to the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Some teams were competing for the very first time. Those new teams are shown in bold.

Who Won: Medal Table

A statue in Vancouver that remembers the "Miracle Mile" race between Roger Bannister and John Landy

Here is a table showing which countries won the most medals at the games. The host country, Canada, is highlighted.

  *   Host nation (Canada)

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	England	23	24	20	67
2	Australia	20	11	17	48
3	South Africa	16	6	13	35
4	Canada*	9	20	14	43
5	New Zealand	7	7	5	19
6	Scotland	6	2	5	13
7	Southern Rhodesia	2	2	1	5
8	Trinidad and Tobago	2	2	0	4
9	Northern Ireland	2	1	0	3
10	Northern Rhodesia	1	4	3	8
11	Nigeria	1	3	3	7
12	Pakistan	1	3	2	6
13	Wales	1	1	5	7
14	Jamaica	1	0	0	1
15	Barbados	0	1	0	1
	Hong Kong	0	1	0	1
	Uganda	0	1	0	1
18	British Guiana	0	0	1	1
Totals (18 entries)		92	89	89	270

Medal Winners: Highlights

Many amazing athletes won medals in different sports at the 1954 Games. Here are the sports that were part of the competition:

• Athletics
• Bowls (also known as Lawn Bowls)
• Boxing
• Cycling (Track and Road races)
• Fencing
• Rowing
• Swimming
• Diving
• Weightlifting
• Wrestling

Athletes from many countries showed off their skills and competed for gold, silver, and bronze medals. Each event had its own champions who made their countries proud!

See also

In Spanish: Juegos de la Mancomunidad de 1954 para niños