Rene ALLEMAN

Born in French Algeria, René Aleman dabbled in boxing and gymnastics before beginning his weightlifting career out of the Sporting Club of El-Bair in 1933. Within two years he had set several North African records and was the French national champion in the lightweight division, the first of five such honors. He gained further renown by defeating Olympic gold medalist and European champion René Duverger for the crown in 1938, to whom he had been runner-up in 1937. Having joined the military in 1936, his athletic career was interrupted by World War II as he was captured by German forces in June 1940, escaping over two years later in June 1942. He continued his career throughout the 1940s and just barely qualified, at the age of 34, for the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he finished 11th out of a field of 22 competitors. After earning a bronze medal at the 1948 European Weightlifting Championships, he retired from the sport, eventually moving to France where he died in 1989.