Plain Louis

Plain Louis , known as “Apollo”, born on February 21st, 1862 with Marsillargues (34), colossus of 1,90 m for 120 kg, is the first " world champion of force".

From the 16 years age, in 1876, he escapes from in his parents to join a travelling Italian circus " Caramagne" in Lunel. During a spectacle, the police force stops it and renews it in its family.

It begins into 1887 with the “Folies shepherdesses”. Its appearance on stage is impressive, it draws aside the iron bars of a grid behind which it is imprisoned; one tells, on this subject, that the blacksmith charged to rectify the bars replaced those by wrought iron, nearer of the steel than of the soft iron.

Initially unable to deform metal, “Apollo”, stimulated by the injunctions of its frail wife, successful at the price of an extraordinary effort to clear a passage through the grid. In 1897, in Lille, Louis Uni tore off four weights of trade held by the ring in only one hand (total weight 86 kg), it was to make a success of the same load with stolen of an arm.

“Apollo” would be also the first man to have shouldered and thrown the axle of Apollo, an enormous bar of more than 48 mms in diameter, provided with two wheels of coach of railroad and weighing 166 kg. This performance will be disputed later by Jean Dame who was to manage of Charles Rigoulot before being one of the large French leaders of the haltérophilie.

Photography opposite, drawn from the magazine " physical culture " dated July 15th, 1913 watch an accident to Apollon whereas it tried to draw two Automobile S with Vichy.

Louis Uni dies on October 18th, 1928.

External bonds

Biographie supplements of Apollo
Photos of Apollo at the time of demonstrations and spectacles of street
Photos of athletes of 1900 to 1920 by the professor of physical culture [[Edmond Desbonnet]]

Random links: