Commonwealth Games Australia mourns the passing of Cardiff 1958 gold medal-winning weightlifter Manoel Santos.

Santos was born on January 30, 1935, in Sydney, New South Wales, a promising young weightlifter, “Manny” as he was fondly known, represented Australia at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics as a 21-year-old, finishing 9th in the under 90kg category.

But it was at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games where Santos enjoyed his best international performance, capturing the gold medal in the under 90kg category, with a total combined weight of 890 pounds (403.7kg).

Representing Australia at both the Rome 1960 Olympics, and the Perth 1962 Commonwealth Games, Santos failed to record a lift in the international competitions. But will be remembered as a gold-medal winner.

Commonwealth Games Australia joins Weightlifting Australia in extending our condolences to Manoel Santos’ family and friends.