Alfred Nakache (1915–1983) was a Jewish French

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

and

water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...

player. A member of the French team for the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympic Games, he also swam in the first post-war

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

in London in 1948. He and

Ben Helfgott Sir Benjamin Helfgott (22 November 1929 – 16 June 2023) was a Polish-born British Holocaust survivor, Olympian and champion weightlifter. He was one of two Jewish athletes known to have competed in the Olympics after surviving the Holocaust, ...

are the only known Jewish athletes to have competed in the Olympics after surviving

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

Biography

Nakache set the world record in the 200 metre breaststroke with a time of 2:36.8 on 6 July 1941 in the long course seawater pool in Catalans in Marseilles. Since FINA at the time recognized world records set in either short course (25 metre) or long course (50 metre) pools for the 200 metre breaststroke, his record was easily broken by

Joe Verdeur Joseph Thomas Verdeur (March 7, 1926 – August 6, 1991) was an American competition swimming (sport), swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Career Verdeur was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had a sister, Theresa, a ...

in 1946 in a short course pool. If records were measured as they are today in long and short course pools, Verdeur would have broken Nakache's long course world record of 2:36.8 in 1948 at the US Olympic trials with a time of 2:36.3. With

Alexandre Jany Alexandre Charles Sixte Jany (5 January 1929 – 18 July 2001) was a French freestyle swimmer and water polo player. As a swimmer, he competed in 100–400 m events at the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics, alongside his sister Ginette Jany-Sendral, ...

and Georges Vallerey Jr., he broke the world record for 3 X 100m medley on 8 August 1946.Alfred Nakache, une vie à contre-courant Le Monde; Paris

aris Aris or ARIS may refer to: People * Aris (surname) Given name * Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer * Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player * Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano * Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter * Aris Konstantinidis, Greek architect * ...

4 May 2019 Nakache was inducted into the

International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (IJSHOF) () is the international hall of fame for Jewish athletes and special contributors to the world of sport. The purpose of the IJSHOF is to honor Jewish individuals, worldwide, who have accompli ...

in 1993 and the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

in 2019. He was the subject of a French documentary in 2001, entitled ''Alfred Nakache, the Swimmer of Auschwitz'' and the 2017 French documentary entitled “Nage Libre”, directed by Thierry Lashéras, coproduced by EVA Productions and France Télévisions, with the participation of French Olympic swimmer

Fabien Gilot Fabien Pierre Aurélien Dominique Gilot (born 27 April 1984) is a French Olympic and world champion swimmer. Early life Gilot was born in Denain, France, to Michel and Yveline Gilot. He started by playing water polo, before switching to swimmi ...

, in the steps of Nakache. Nakache lived in Toulouse with his wife Paule. Their daughter Annie was born in Constantine, Algeria on 12 August 1941. In January 1944 she was deported to Auschwitz with her parents and later was murdered in a gas chamber with her mother. After ending his career in Reunion Island, he died on 4 August 1983, after becoming ill while swimming in the port of Cerbère. He is buried in the Le Py cemetery in Sète.

Records & championships

*World—200 m butterfly—1941 *World—relay 3 X 100 m3 strokes—1946 *Europe—100 m butterfly—1941 *France—400 m butterfly—1943 *France—relay 4 X 200 m freestyle—1946 *Champion of France—100 m freestyle in 1935–38, and 1941–42 *Champion of France—200 m freestyle in 1937–38, and 1941–42 *Champion of France—200 m butterfly in 1938, 1941–42, and 1946 *Champion of France—400 m freestyle in 1942 *Champion of France—relay 4 X 200 m freestyle in 1937–39, 1942, 1944–52 (13 titles, including 9 consecutive) *University champion—100 m freestyle in 1936 *Champion of North Africa—100 m freestyle in 1931

Maccabiah Games The Maccabiah Games (, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics") is an international multi-sport event with summer and winter sports competitions featuring Jews and Israelis regardless of religion ...

silver medal in 1935–100 m freestyle

References

External links

Jewish Sports bioJews in Sports bioAlfred Nakache
in

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...

website {{DEFAULTSORT:Nakache, Alfred Sportspeople from Constantine, Algeria 1915 births 1983 deaths French male butterfly swimmers French male freestyle swimmers 20th-century French Jews Jewish swimmers Olympic swimmers for France Olympic water polo players for France Swimmers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1948 Summer Olympics French male water polo players World record setters in swimming Auschwitz concentration camp survivors Algerian Jews European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming 20th-century French sportsmen

Biography

Records & championships

See also

References

External links