Alexandre Maspoli (29 September 1875 – 25 September 1943)[1] was a French sculptor and weightlifter. He came joint third in the two-hand lift event at the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens, and was amateur weightlifting champion 19 years in a row. After the First World War, Maspoli designed war memorials, as well as sculptures to commemorate Félix Desvernay [fr], Frantz Reichel, and Julien Barbero [fr].

Alexandre Maspoli
Black and white photo of man in black gymn gear holding arms outstretched, with multiple people dressed in black in the background
Maspoli in 1908
Personal information
Born(1875-09-29)29 September 1875
Lyon, France
Died25 September 1943(1943-09-25) (aged 67)
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight91 kg (201 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryFrance
Sport
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals1906, 1924
World finals1902
National finals1905, 1907
Medal record
Weightlifting
Representing  FRA
World Weightlifting Championships
Gold medal – first place 1902 London Combined
Intercalated Games
Bronze medal – third place 1906 Athens Two hand lift

Career edit

Sports career edit

Maspoli was born in Lyon, France.[2] He was an amateur weightlifting champion 19 years in a row.[2] Maspoli won the combined events at the unofficial 1902 Weightlifting World Championships, setting a new world record in the process.[3][4] In 1905, Maspoli won the French National Championships. In the throwing event, he threw 130 kilograms (290 lb).[4] At the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens, Maspoli came joint third in the two hand lift event. Maspoli, Heinrich Schneidereit and Heinrich Rondl all lifted 129.5 kilograms (285 lb).[5]: 146  He also participated in the one hand lift event, where he finished fourth,[6] and the standing long jump event, where he finished 18th.[5]: 54  In the same year, he featured in La Culture physique [fr], as an example of "perfect masculine physicality".[2][7] In 1907, Maspoli retained his French National Championship title.[4]

Sculpture edit

 
Monument to Frantz Reichel, sculpted by Maspoli.

After the First World War, Maspoli was commissioned to build war memorials in La Côte-Saint-André and Arcachon.[3] The Arcachon memorial promoted pacifism and the loss of families in the war.[8] He submitted two works, Jet du boulet and Mask of Philippides, for the mixed sculpture event at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. He was not awarded a medal.[9] In 1928, Maspoli created a bust memorial to historian Félix Desvernay [fr].[10] In 1933, Maspoli was commissioned to create a monument to sportsman and journalist Frantz Reichel in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The sculpture was finished the following year.[3][11] For this monument, he became the first winner of the Grand Prix de la Presse Sportive [fr] award in 1934. The award was created by the Syndicat National des Journalistes sportifs (National Union of Sports Journalists) for the best "sporting act" of the year.[a][12] In 1938, he built a statue to politician Julien Barbero [fr] in Lyon.[13]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Sculpture was included in the definition of sport

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Alexandre Maspoli". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Charles Darwin & The Forgotten Indian Holocaust". Great Game India. 6 July 2017. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Alexandre Maspoli biography". Olympic Channel. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Mallet, Edouard. "HISTORIQUE SUR L'HALTEROPHILIE" (in French). Orange S.A. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b Mallon, Bill (2015). The 1906 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476609515. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Weightlifting at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Unlimited, One Hand". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  7. ^ Swaminathan, Medha (2019). The Missing Link: Tarzan in the Early-20th Century French Fantasy Landscape (PhD). Wesleyan University. p. 75.
  8. ^ "Alexandre MASPOLI (1875-1943)". Pierre Lagrue. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Art Competitions at the 1924 Paris Summer Games: Mixed Sculpturing". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  10. ^ "En France et Hors de France". Les Nouvelles littéraires (in French). 28 April 1928. p. 8. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2020 – via Bibliothèque nationale de France.
  11. ^ "Monument à Franz Reichel – Paris, 16e arr" (in French). E-momumen.net. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  12. ^ Frémont, Gaston (May 1955). "L'Athlétisme : organe officiel de la Fédération française d'athlétisme". French Athletics Federation (in French). p. 3. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2020 – via Bibliothèque nationale de France.
  13. ^ "La statue en mémoire de Julien Barbero est de retour". Le Progrès (in French). 9 December 2012. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2020.

External links edit