Charles Rigoulot


Charles Jean Rigoulot was a French weightlifter, professional wrestler, racing driver, and actor.

Background

Rigoulot was born in Le Vesinet, France and began to train with weights as a child. He was observed by weight trainer Jean Dame lifting heavy lithograph stones when Rigoulot was 16-years-old and Dame began to train and coach the teenager. During World War II he was imprisoned after hitting a Nazi officer.

Weightlifting and strongman career

As a weightlifter he won the gold medal in the 82.5 kg division at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Between 1923 and 1926 he set eight official world records. In 1924, he became the first person to clean and jerk more than 400 pounds, using the non-revolving barbells of that time. In 1928 he set two World Records; a clean and jerk of 360 lbs and a snatch of 253 lbs. In 1930, he became the first person to complete an overhead lift of the Apollon Railway Car Wheels, an awkwardly-shaped 166 kg barbell-shaped set of train wheels used by the stage strongman Louis Uni, and the predecessor of "Apollon's Axle".
In 1932 Rigoulot turned professional and worked as a strongman in the circus, an actor and singer in the theater. As a professional wrestler he was billed as "l'homme le plus fort dans le monde" and had matches with Henri DeGlane and Strangler Lewis.

Motorsports career results

As a driver, he competed in the 1937 Le Mans race.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Later life

In 1953 he became sports director at the Cognac Distillery Ricard, he died of heart attack in 1962. His daughter Dany Rigoulot became an Olympic figure skater.