Many fellow Masters throughout Europe will remember Bill as a quiet but friendly person who competed in World and European Masters Championships, and on occasions won medals. Possibly his best performance was at the European Masters in Mielno, Poland, when he suffered a bad injury but still continued to win a gold medal.

Bill was also an IWF CAT 1 Referee for many years and was a top quality referee who always gave his services willingly. He was a good friend of the European Masters Chairman, Bill Barton, and they were always in contact by telephone or by writing letters.

He was also the Record Keeper for the British Masters for many years and never made an error or failed to pick up a new record from Home or International results.

He was truly a man who dedicated a great deal of his time to weightlifting and in Particular, Masters weightlifting.Bill died at home after a short illness on Thursday the 23 rd September 2004.. Weightlifting will surely miss him.

Alex was born in Poland but later in his life he moved to Germany and lived near Berlin. Alex’ great love for weightlifting was equalled by his love for music and he was an accomplished player of the Accordian.

Alex was dedicated to the sport of weightlifting and represented Germany at many World and European Masters Championships – and won many medals. He was initiated into the European Masters Hall of Fame in Eysines, France, in 2003. He told me later that it was one of his proudest moments in Masters weightlifting and he was completely surprised.

At many World and European Masters Congress meetings Alex acted as interpreter and was often seen sitting with the Polish and Russian delegates. He would translate all the Congress matters from English into Polish and Russian to enable them to understand everything that was happening. This also enabled Congress to run smoother and become more efficient. Further proof of a man who worked to put something back into his sport.

In 2002 Alex had major cancer surgery that enabled him to return to competition in Eysines in 2003. Sadly he died of cancer after expressing how he keen he was to compete in the European Masters in Kolobrzeg, Poland, in 2004.

Hubert was one of the best Master weighlifters produced by Austria. A strong statement considering the many fine weightlifters from Austria. He competed almost every year in the World and European Masters Championships until the World Masters Games in Portland, Oregon, USA, in 1998 where he won a silver medal. It was an addition to the many gold and silver medals he won in International Masters Championships. He was also a member of the IWF World Masters Hall of Fame.

Not only was he a good weightlifter, but with his good friend Walter Legal, he was responsible for organising the European Masters Committee and for helping to organise the European Masters WL Championships up until 1998. Walter Legal was Chairman and Hubert was the Secretary of the European Masters Committee. In 1998 his friend Walter Legal was ill and Hubert had discussed the future of the European Masters with Walter. They had both decided that they wanted me to form a new European Masters Committee and with Hubert’s help I did this in Kazincbarcika, Hungary, in 1999.

Hubert has been suffering for a long time with Alzheimer’s disease. He and his wife Eveline attended the 2004 IWF World Masters Championship in Baden, Austria.

Sadly Hubert died in the early hours of the morning, Tuesday the 5 th April 2005.