Raoul Paoli


Raoul Paoli was a French athlete, boxer, wrestler, rower and actor. Aged 12, he served as a coxswain in the French coxed pair and won a bronze medal at the 1900 Summer Olympics. He competed in the shot put, his favourite event, at the 1912, 1920, 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics with the best result of ninth place in 1924. In 1912 he also took part in the Greco-Roman wrestling contest and served as the Olympic flag bearer for France, and in 1928 he finished 29th in the discus throw.
Paoli was a French champion in boxing and rugby, with Stade Français. He played three international rugby games for the French national rugby union team in 1911–12 and scored one try. In the 1920s he was romantically involved with the fellow athlete Violette Morris. In 1933 he co-founded the :fr:Fédération française de catch professionnel|French Professional Wrestling Association.

Partial filmography