2023-08-07 14:00:00
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THE FORGOTTEN HEROES OF OLYMPISM 3/5. The French Olympic champion in the marathon at the 1928 Games never knew glory. His death has still not been clarified.
By Julien Rebucci Published on 08/07/2023 at 2:00 p.m.
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Robert Vintousky does not believe his eyes. The French pole vaulter, stationed at the last refueling point on the route of the Amsterdam Olympic marathon, screams with joy when he sees his friend Ahmed Boughéra El Ouafi, a metalworker like him, leading the race less than 5 km from the arrival. When El Ouafi arrives at his level, Vintousky slips him a bag of Vichy pellets to keep him going until the finish line and encourages him: “Go ahead and fuck it! »
The accelerated image from the vintage archives does not alter the feeling of lightness of the foot, which seems to barely touch the track. When El Ouafi enters, alone in the lead, this Sunday, August 5, 1928 in the brand new Olympic enclosure in Amsterdam, the 34,000 spectators are at first taken aback. Who is this number 71? This…
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