ATHLETES DURING GREAT DEPRESSION AND THEIR STORIES.

 

  RAYMOND SUVIGNY:

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• Born on 21st January in Paris, France. 

• Died at the age of 42 on 26 October 1945 in Paris, France. 

• Achievements: He won a gold medal in Olympics of 1932 in 60kg weightlifting category. 

Career and life:

Raymond was the child of Léon Auguste Suvigny and Virginie Rosalie Marie Louise. After becoming youth he used to work in Paris metro, as in those days as economic depression was affecting every nation, many people of many nations were employed or Chocelessly doing any type of job's or any odd jobs they could get. France had been participating in Olympics since 1896 and had also hosted summer Olympics of 1900, this had inspired many athelets of France, similarly had inspired Raymond to took up Weightlifting in 1919 as an intrest to showcase his talent. 

He participated in many events to showcase himself and by 1923 he bacame a top French weightlifter and on the same year he represented for his 1st French record and made several records in the coming years. He becamed the master of Paris in 1923 and and 1924 and was known as the champion of Paris. He was placed ninth in the 1924 summer Olympics even after his best performance. He participated in the first international match between France and Germany held in Mannheim in Germany on 18 April 1926, taking France glory to the next level in the featherweight but he was defeated by Eugene Miihlberger in a four way match with 311kg, 320kg. This tournament was a milestone for the weightlifting in France from where the use of ballbearings to lift the heavy weight was started. From 1925 to 1927 no championships were held. 

In the summer Olympics of 1928 he made a French record of 280kg in triathlon but could not continue in Olympics due to an injury, but he didn't loose hope practiced hard and returned in 1932 Olympics to achieve a Gold medal in featherweight making a record of 287.5kg, after Los Angeles Raymond get retired from his professional weightlifting carrier. 

During the emerge of world War 2 as Germany attacked and occupied France, Raymond becamed a War prisoner a died at the age of 42 years only. 

Achievements:

• All featherweight achieved in beidarmigen tearing. 

• Made a  French record of 280kg in 1928 Olympic triathlon. 

• Made a  record of 287.5kg in 1932 Olympics winning a gold medal. 

Inspiration:

   Raymond was working in metro but his inspiration and passion made him to get focused in his life to become a star weightlifter. He had achieved many records in his carrier and still he had loose many tournaments but he bounced back by struggling hard and coming back to achieve his goals, every athlete wants to achieve an Olympic gold medal in his lifetime which is a very tough task to get, so many athelets are struggling hard to get their fruit as a success to their being.

Prisoners of war from France during World War 2:

   On 14 June 1940 fell against Germany, then most of the soilders from French army were taken as war prisoners in the camps they were forced to do labour work in industries and agriculture, mines and railways etc so that local Germans could play a part in military activities. Only 10% of male population was left in France after the defeat. Around 1.8 million soilders were made war prisoners from France. After the war the repatriation of French soilders was stigmatized by the civilians of France who believed that the war prisoners were coward and were the reason of French defeat, as there was a medal for those who escaped the German camps but there was no medal for other prisoners of war, even no jobs to be allocated for them.