Donald Parker STOCKTON

Don Stockton took up wrestling at the Verdun Athletic Club and, in 1924, was selected to represent Canada at that year’s Summer Olympics, where he finished joint-fifth in the welterweight division. Shortly after the Games he moved up to the middleweight category and attended the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics. In the former he defeated Great Britain’s Sam Rabin in the quarterfinals before losing to Ernst Kyburz of Switzerland in the semifinals. When Kyburz won the gold medal, Stockton, by virtue of having lost to Kyburz, was given an opportunity to earn silver, which he accomplished by besting Anton Praeg of South Africa. At the 1932 edition he lost his first two bouts against Sumiyuki Kotani of Japan and Émile Poilvé of France and was eliminated from the tournament. During this era he also played rugby, but turned professional in wrestling in 1933 and later worked as a coach, referee, and judge. He was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1953.