Alexandre Lippmann

Alexandre Lippmann

File:Alexandre Lippmann.jpg
Personal information
Nationality	French
Born	(1881-06-11)11 June 1881 Paris, France
Died	23 February 1960(1960-02-23) (aged 78) Paris, France
Sport
Country	France
Sport	Fencing
Event	Épée
Club	Cercle de l'Escrime de Paris
Medal record Men's fencing Representing France Olympic Games Gold medal – first place 1908 London Épée, team Silver medal – second place 1908 London Épée, individual Silver medal – second place 1920 Antwerp Épée, individual Bronze medal – third place 1920 Antwerp Épée, team Gold medal – first place 1924 Paris Épée, team

Alexandre Lippmann (11 June 1881 – 23 February 1960) was a French Olympic champion épée fencer. He won two Olympic gold medals, as well as three other Olympic medals.

Early and personal life

Lippmann was born in Paris, France, in the 17th arrondissement. Through his mother, Marie-Alexandrine-Henriette Dumas, he was the grandson of Alexandre Dumas fils and great-grandson of French writer Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers. His father was Jewish. Lippmann was also a genre painter.

Fencing career

In 1909, he won the French épée championship.

He won five medals, including two gold medals, at three different Olympic Games: a team gold and an individual silver in the 1908 Olympics in London at 26 years of age, a team bronze and individual silver in the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp at 38 years of age, and a team gold in the 1924 Olympics in Paris at the age of 42.

He missed out on the opportunity to fence in two other Olympic Games. This was because French fencers did not compete at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm because France disagreed with the rules of the competition, and World War I caused the cancellation of what would have been the 1916 Summer Olympics.

Lippmann was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1984.

He died in 1960, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.

See also

• List of select Jewish fencers
• List of Jewish Olympic medalists