Name :  Serge REDING

Date of Birth : 23/12/1941 in Auderghem

Died: 28/6/1975 in Manilla (Phillipines)

at the age of 34

Occupation : Librarian in the national library

Category :

Super heavy weight.

 Bodyweight went up to +140 kg!

Height :

172 cm (5' 8")

 
 
General info:

He was born December 23, 1941 in Auderghem (Brussels). Serge Reding was actually born as Serge Yvan Arthur Gérard . Gérard was the name of his unmarried mother Adeline Gérard and his father was unknown. His parents were originally from the Belgian Ardennes (Herbeumont) and Serge spent most of his childhood in this region. When Ernest Reding married Adeline he adopted Serge and gave him his name. Serge had a very good relation with his stepfather and when his 'parents' divorced later, Serge choose to live with his father in Brussels. When he was about 16 year he had his first contact weightlifting training. But he really started weightlifting in 1959, at the age of 18, when he entered the weightlifting club in Schaerbeeck His bodyweight was already 90 kg (198 lbs) at that time (length 172 cm). After 3 months training under Mr. Wittenbol, his first coach in weightlifting, he entered his first competition. He made a modest total of 230 kg with 70 kg press, 70 kg snatch and 90 kg jerk. In 1961 he was in the military service and competed in his first national championships but ended last. Shortly after this results he progressed a lot and took the national records.He started working in the national library in 1964. In 1964 he also participated in his first Olympic Games and became 10th in these Tokyo games. After these Olympic games Serge wanted to train more professional to get closer to the world top. In his search he met André Dupont, who became his new trainer. During a training camp in Poland in 1966 he met his first wife, Ewa Cernewska.  Serge experienced a difficult time in his personal life when she left him and when his stepfather died not so long after. He stopped training 4 months in 1967 and it disturbed his preparation for the 1968 Olympics a bit but nonetheless he achieved a historical result there with his silver medal. The silver medal in the Mexico1968 Olympics brought him a real star image in Belgium.  He became very popular and was all over the media.  In 1969 he earned the national trophy for best sportsmen ("nationale trofee voor sportverdienste"). (In 1968 and 1970 he finished in the runner up positions of this election.)
Serge was well prepared and ready for at least another silver medal in the Munchen Olympics from 1972. On the day he had to lift there was a terroristic attack on the Israelian team. Among the victims there was also a weightlifter. Serge who has always been a very sensitive person was emotionally very touched by this terrible event and couldn't lift his starting weights in the press. No total - no medal...
In the world championships from 1974 in Manila , the Philippines, he gathered again a silver medal.
During these last Championships he met the Manilan waitress Yvonne Solidum and fell in love with her. In the following period he traveled a lot between Belgium and the Philippines. In the beginning of 1975 he spent 3 months, without training in Manila with the woman he loved.
Then the terrible news came that he died in Manila. at the age of 34 (28th of June 1975) from a hart-attack.
His unusual appearance and even more remarkable love story lead to many rumors in the Belgian press. They talked about a death under mysterious circumstances with even suicide and murder as possibilities. However, officially and most likely he died of a hart attack caused by a thrombosis.
This congenial exceptional Belgian weightlifter remains a legend all over the world.

BELGIAN WEIGHTLIFTING

by Tom Goegebuer