The tear in the arm A small group on the steps of Vel 'd'Hiv' softly begins to sing a chorus. You barely hear the buzz of the crowd: " trois cents! Trois cents! Trois cents! . A boy
time without hearing the words well, then he understands the eye and squeeze them, " trois cents! Trois cents! Trois cents! " starts shouting at the top has in the body. Viewers follow the line of His example, then imitating those of the queues in front.
In seconds everyone in the audience shouted in unison, clapping their hands. Even the distinguished gentleman businessman sitting in the front row, with the cigar held between his fingers chubby, loosens his tie, and joins the chorus. Even his wife with the fashionable dress for a moment abandon the silence: " TROIS CENT! TROIS CENT! TROIS CENT! " screaming shrilly in turmoil and the hat falls well.
Charles is happy, but exhausted. Undoes his belt and on the table, then cover with a bathrobe and leaves the body mass of nearly quintal in his chair. You barely notice that the bands were loosened and his knees that the left leg dangling down to the ground. He takes a swig from the bottle of red wine by leaving chalk marks on the glass, takes a deep breath, then wipes the sweat from his brow with a towel.
Ernest gave him a hard time he was in a form on this occasion to catch up accumulated in the three years of détente - with the right arm and the left and two arms - forced him to turn up the momentum as atrocious with 170 pounds only a few hours before would have thought impossible. But with the deadlift of 280 pounds, Charles has closed down the challenge: he is' Hercule de France. And even the strongest man in the world, ça va sans dire .
When he fell from the platform, Ernest shook his hand and congratulated him, the audience rose to their feet to applaud both long. But Charles has remained an attempt at his disposal. From the locker room
Charles hears the screams of the audience. For a moment think that the challenge is won and might even give up, but it would be a disappointment to anyone, including himself. No matter how many competitors may be present, in the end is always an opponent to beat: the bar. And in this case can not even appeal to his skill in handling the bars to the ball, which it uses to raise the speed: for the deadlift barbell French and German are the same. The competition judge
waiting impatiently at the entrance. He wants to know what is going to raise in his final test. Charles for a moment did not even faintly, waved him to come closer and whispers something. The judge runs out with smug expression.
- Madames et monsieurs, - the loudspeaker crackles and in a moment Vel 'd'Hiv' becomes silent - je vous confirme que Monsieur de Rigoulot will try soulever cent trois kilos de terre dans son troisième essai .
rises from the stands for a moment a roar that puts chills. The ladies in the audience are held tightly behind their men. The Vel 'd'Hiv' , capable of 15,000 audience is full of people at this time. The lifting an arm, played in the afternoon, could be appreciated only by connoisseurs. But ripping the momentum and have warmed the audience. The deadlift - the tenth and last up - can not help but wonder anyone inhuman for weights that are lifted.
Chargers arrive with buckets of powdered iron. We need another twenty pounds, ten in the sphere of the right and the left one in ten. Pose on the scale tool to verify that the weight is right: 300 pounds exactly, or more a pound, a pound or less. In another part
quick chorus: " Ri-gou-lot! Re-gou-lot! Re-gou-lot! ", which continues when it enters the ' Hercule de France. It goes on even when Charles fastens the seat belt tight and put the chalk on your hands. After Charles is first bowed to the judges that are in front, then to the public right, then turned left and then a hand goes up. And it's just silence.
is coming to the bar and focus for about ten seconds, eyes closed and his head down with his typical military cut hair. Then, in his style, bends and quickly grab the rod. System does not either, but part upwards without delay even a moment, the shaft is twisted under the weight of the large balls as soon as it lifts off, as if to form a big U-turn. Charles faces a critical moment at the knee, it slows down to almost stop, grits his teeth but then fails to close the lift and straighten completely. At the command of the court, however, Rigoulot does not lower the bar now, but stops for a moment: look left and right, you can enjoy the crowd applauded and a smile emerges on her lips before placing the barbell on the ground with great care .
NOTES. This story is pure fantasy: the third match between Ernest and Charles Rigoulot Cadine there never was. If the first meeting (6 Ottor 1925) Charles won with a lead of only 8 kg, in the rematch (January 9, 1926) Charles beat Ernest ½ kg for 1156 against 1050 kg, the range of 10 up, 5 of which in one arm and 5 in both arms. Since then the two are not challenged anymore.
as I know, Rigoulot Never lift 300 kg in the deadlift: 271 ½ when he came to relieve the revenge Cadine and failed with 280 kg on the same occasion, but only for a lack of execution. The French rocker
(ball) were abandoned in the amateur field after the 1924 Olympics to make way for those in Germany (a metal disks), but were still used by French professionals, including Rigoulot, for a long time.
