Khadr El Touni
Encyclopedia
Khadr Sayed El Touni was an Egypt
ian weightlifter. Until recently he was ranked #1 on the list of history's 50 greatest weightlifters issued by the International Weightlifting Federation
. It was only in the 1996 Games
in Atlanta that Turkey
's Naim Süleymanoğlu
surpassed the Egyptian to top the list.
Eltouny began practicing the sport at a young age along with the students of Shobra School. One day, they placed two stones weighing 40 kg each on a broomstick; only Eltouny succeeded in lifting it. Determined to succeed in this area, Eltouny continued to weightlift at various sporting clubs in the Cairo
area.
in Berlin
. Crushing two German world champions at the time on their home soil, Eltouny broke then the Olympic and world records.
After winning the middleweight class gold medal, Eltouny continued to compete for another 45 minutes, finally exceeding the total of the German silver medalist by 35 kg. The 20-year-old Eltouny lifted a total of 387.5 kg, while the German lifted 352.5 kg. Furthermore, Eltouny had lifted 15 kg more than the heavyweight gold medalist, a feat only Eltouny has accomplished. Eltouny's new world records stood for thirteen years.
Fascinated by Eltouny's performance, Adolf Hitler
, who was watching from the stands, rushed down to greet this human miracle. Prior to the competition, Hitler was said to have been sure that Rudolf Ismayr
and Adolf Wagner would embarrass all other opponents. While awarding Eltouny with the gold medal, Hitler told him: 'Egypt should be proud of you. I wish you were German. I hope you consider Germany your second home'. Hitler was so impressed by his domination in the middleweight class that he ordered a street named after him in Berlin.
His achievement was recorded in the official book of the 1936 Olympics which is available in many libraries
containing all the signatures of Golden medals carriers including his signature in Arabic
In recognition of his achievement, Hitler ordered that one of the streets in the Olympic Village of Berlin be named after Eltouny. In addition to the street in Berlin, Eltouny also had streets in Alexandria
and Nasr City
named after him in his home country of Egypt. Nearby his home in his final residential town of Helwan, a major square was also named after Eltouny. Besides the honorary streets and squares, Eltouny received a 1,000 L.E. cash bonus, as well as a free pass from the tramway company. Eltouny cashed in the policy in 1953 and built a house in Helwan which is still occupied by his wife Gamalat.
and 1944 Olympics
, but World War II
put an end to those dreams. Finally in 1948
, when the games resumed in London
, Eltouny was able to compete again. Eltouny fell ill the night before the games, and would require surgery (exact illness not known). Doctors ordered Eltouny not to compete, but frustrated about missing the prior two Olympic Games, Eltouny refused to follow the doctors' orders. Well past his prime at the age of 32, and in terrible pain, Eltouny attempted to win a medal once again. Unfortunately, Eltouny failed to win a medal this time. Although he tied for third place, he lost the bronze medal
on tiebreak. Nevertheless, Eltouny won the hearts of the Egyptian people with his determination. Immediately after the competition, Eltouny was rushed to a nearby hospital for surgery.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian weightlifter. Until recently he was ranked #1 on the list of history's 50 greatest weightlifters issued by the International Weightlifting Federation
International Weightlifting Federation
The International Weightlifting Federation , headquartered in Budapest, is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting.The IWF was founded in 1905, and has 187 member nations. The IWF president is Dr...
. It was only in the 1996 Games
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta that Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's Naim Süleymanoğlu
Naim Süleymanoglu
Naim Süleymanoğlu , formerly known as Naim Suleimanov , is a Turkish World and Olympic Champion in weightlifting...
surpassed the Egyptian to top the list.
Eltouny began practicing the sport at a young age along with the students of Shobra School. One day, they placed two stones weighing 40 kg each on a broomstick; only Eltouny succeeded in lifting it. Determined to succeed in this area, Eltouny continued to weightlift at various sporting clubs in the Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
area.
1936 Olympics
At the time, Eltouny had already set the world record for his weight class. The International Weightlifting Federation, however, did not recognize this as a world record; they claimed it was an impossible feat. They were forced to acknowledge this record when he successfully performed at the 1936 Olympics1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Crushing two German world champions at the time on their home soil, Eltouny broke then the Olympic and world records.
After winning the middleweight class gold medal, Eltouny continued to compete for another 45 minutes, finally exceeding the total of the German silver medalist by 35 kg. The 20-year-old Eltouny lifted a total of 387.5 kg, while the German lifted 352.5 kg. Furthermore, Eltouny had lifted 15 kg more than the heavyweight gold medalist, a feat only Eltouny has accomplished. Eltouny's new world records stood for thirteen years.
Fascinated by Eltouny's performance, Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, who was watching from the stands, rushed down to greet this human miracle. Prior to the competition, Hitler was said to have been sure that Rudolf Ismayr
Rudolf Ismayr
Rudolf Ismayr was a German weightlifter and Olympic champion. He won a gold medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles...
and Adolf Wagner would embarrass all other opponents. While awarding Eltouny with the gold medal, Hitler told him: 'Egypt should be proud of you. I wish you were German. I hope you consider Germany your second home'. Hitler was so impressed by his domination in the middleweight class that he ordered a street named after him in Berlin.
His achievement was recorded in the official book of the 1936 Olympics which is available in many libraries
containing all the signatures of Golden medals carriers including his signature in Arabic
In recognition of his achievement, Hitler ordered that one of the streets in the Olympic Village of Berlin be named after Eltouny. In addition to the street in Berlin, Eltouny also had streets in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
and Nasr City
Nasr City
Nasr City is a district of Cairo, Egypt. It is located to the east of the Cairo Governorate and consists mostly of condominiums. It was established in the 1960s as an extension to neighboring suburb of Heliopolis. The establishment of the district was part of the Egyptian Government's plan to...
named after him in his home country of Egypt. Nearby his home in his final residential town of Helwan, a major square was also named after Eltouny. Besides the honorary streets and squares, Eltouny received a 1,000 L.E. cash bonus, as well as a free pass from the tramway company. Eltouny cashed in the policy in 1953 and built a house in Helwan which is still occupied by his wife Gamalat.
1948 Olympics
Eltouny could have taken part in the 19401940 Summer Olympics
The anticipated 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad and originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan, were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II...
and 1944 Olympics
1944 Summer Olympics
The anticipated 1944 Summer Olympics, which were to be officially known as the Games of the XIII Olympiad, were cancelled due to World War II...
, but World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
put an end to those dreams. Finally in 1948
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
, when the games resumed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Eltouny was able to compete again. Eltouny fell ill the night before the games, and would require surgery (exact illness not known). Doctors ordered Eltouny not to compete, but frustrated about missing the prior two Olympic Games, Eltouny refused to follow the doctors' orders. Well past his prime at the age of 32, and in terrible pain, Eltouny attempted to win a medal once again. Unfortunately, Eltouny failed to win a medal this time. Although he tied for third place, he lost the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
on tiebreak. Nevertheless, Eltouny won the hearts of the Egyptian people with his determination. Immediately after the competition, Eltouny was rushed to a nearby hospital for surgery.