When Robert Fein competed in the 1936 Olympics, he had been one of Europe’s leading lightweight lifters for several years. He had won European titles in 1929 and 1934 (shared with 1932 Olympic champion René Duverger), medalling additionally in 1935 (silver) and 1930 (bronze). At the Berlin, a close duel with Anwar Mousbah ended in a tie, and the two shared the gold medal.
The World Championships were restored in 1937, and Fein took a silver medal behind Tony Terlazzo at the first tournament since 1923. Sadly, with the Austrian Anschluß in 1938, Fein, who was Jewish, was barred from further competition. Fein frequently broke world records, 23 times in total, although many of his performances were not officially recognized.
Austria