Charles Rigoulot

Charles Jean Rigoulot (3 November 190322 August 1962) was a French weightlifter, professional wrestler, racing driver, strongman and actor.

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.

Weightlifting and strongman career As a weightlifter he won the gold medal in the 82.5 kg (188.9 lb) 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 (181 kg), using the non-revolving barbells of that time. In 1928 he set two World Records; a clean and jerk of 360 lbs (163.3 kg) and a snatch of 253 lbs (114.8 kg). an awkwardly-shaped 166 kg (366 lb) barbell-shaped set of train wheels used by the stage strongman Louis Uni, and the predecessor of "Apollon's Axle".

In 1925 Rigoulot turned professional and worked as a strongman in the circus, and an actor and singer in the theater.

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