René Duverger grew up in Paris where he played football as a teenager. In 1927, he started weightlifting. He soon closed the gap to the international top class and at only 19-years-old he was runner-up as a lightweight at the 1930 European Championships. In the years following the Los Angeles Olympics he continued to have success, but without winning another international title. In 1934 he repeated his second place at the European Championships and took a third place at the same event in 1935. His battles with the Austrians Hans Haas and Robert Fein were legendary. Nationally, he was French champion in the lightweight class 10 times (1930-34, 1936-37, 1943-45). In 1952 at age 41 he still lifted 282.5 kg in the Olympic triathlon. After his competitive career Duverger was for many years Secretary of the Weightlifting Federation of France. He was a teacher by profession and a pioneer of physical education in France.
France