Light-Heavyweight (≤82½ kilograms), Men

The light-heavyweight division was one of the closest contests in the weightlifting tournament. Favorites included Swiss lifter Fritz Hünenberger, the 1921 European Champion and silver medallist in Antwerp, Jaroslav Skobla, the 1923 World Champion and Leopold Friedrich, the defending World Champion in the middleweight. They were joined by a young Frenchman, Charles Rigoulot. Rigoulot had a small lead after four events over Hünenberger, and then increased it by 10 kg in the last event. But matters could have been different. In the one-armed clean & jerk, the Swiss lifted 112.5 kg, a new World Record. But to the anger of the crowd, the lift was ruled invalid by the judges, and he had to be content with his best result of 107.5 - still a World Record. One of his compatriots, Dr. Anton Schärer, also set a new World record, in the press.

Rigoulot soon turned professional, and had a very successful career. He later also became a racing driver, winning the Bol d’Or in 1937. A member of the French resistance in World War II, he supposedly once escaped imprisonment by breaking the bars with his bare hands.