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Gérard Blitz (swimmer)

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Gérard Blitz
Gérard Blitz in 1922
Personal information
Born1 August 1901
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Died8 March 1979 (aged 77)
Ganshoren, Belgium
Sport
SportWater polo, swimming
Medal record
Representing  Belgium
Olympic Games
Water polo
Silver medal – second place 1920 Antwerp Team competition
Silver medal – second place 1924 Paris Team competition
Bronze medal – third place 1936 Berlin Team competition
Swimming
Bronze medal – third place 1920 Antwerp 100 m backstroke

Gérard Blitz (1 August 1901 – 8 March 1979) was a Belgian Olympic swimmer and water polo player who competed at the 1920, 1924, 1928 and 1936 Olympics. He was the younger brother of Maurice Blitz, also a water polo player, and uncle of Gérard Blitz who founded Club Med in 1950.[1]

Biography

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1920 Olympic Bronze and Silver

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At the 1920 Summer Olympics Blitz won a bronze medal in the 100 m backstroke, and a silver medal with the Belgian water polo team, which also included his brother Maurice. He failed to reach the finals of the 100 m and 4 × 200 m freestyle events.[2]

On 16 September 1921 he set a world record in the 400 m backstroke at 5:59.2, that lasted until 1927, and held the ASA (English) record for the 150 meter backstroke briefly from 1920-21.[2][3]

1924 Olympic Silver

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At the 1924 Summer Olympics, the Blitz brothers were still part of the Belgian water polo squad. The team won another silver medal. Blitz also finished fourth in the 100 m backstroke swimming event. He had little luck at the 1928 Games, as his water polo team finished fifth, and he was eliminated in the heats of his swimming events.

1936 Olympic Bronze

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Eight years later, at the 1936 Summer Berlin Games, he won his last Olympic medal, a bronze in water polo. He played all seven matches. Blitz was one of a number of Jewish athletes who won medals at the 1936 Nazi Olympics.[2][4][5] The Nazi regime had passed the anti-Semitic Nuremberg laws the prior Fall which stripped German Jews of citizenship, opportunities to receive a public education, and access to many professions and public facilities. Jewish businesses had been boycotted and Jews could not serve in the legal profession, the civil service, teach in secondary schools or universities or vote or hold public office.[6]

Blitz died in 1979. In 1990 he was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Pioneer Swimmer.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Gérard Blitz". Olympedia. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Gérard Blitz". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b "GERARD BLITZ (BEL) 1990 Honor Pioneer Swimmer/Water Polo". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  4. ^ Taylor, Paul (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics – With a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medalists. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN 9781903900888.
  5. ^ "The Nazi Olympics (Berlin 1936)—Jewish Athletes; Olympic Medalists". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  6. ^ Kahn, Carrie (8 August 2008). "My Jewish Grandpa's Triumph At Hitler's Olympics". NPR. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
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