Charles Champaud
{{short description|Swiss gymnast that represented Bulgaria (born 1865)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox gymnast
|name= Charles Champaud
|image=Charles Champaud.jpg
|imagesize=150px
|caption=Champaud in the {{circa}} 1890s
|fullname=Charles Champaud
|altname=Charles Champoff, Шарл Шампов
|nickname=
|country={{Flag|Bulgaria}}
|formercountry=
|birth_date=1865
|birth_place=Switzerland
|hometown=
|residence=
|death_date=
|death_place=
|height=
|discipline=MAG
|level=
|natlteam=
|club=
|gym=
|collegeteam=
|headcoach=
|assistcoach=
|formercoach=
|choreographer=
|music=
|eponymousskills=
|retired=
|medaltemplates=
}}
Charles Champaud ({{langx|bg|Шарл Шампо}}; born 1865 – date of death unknown), variously spelled Sharl Shampov and Charles Champoff, was a Swiss artistic gymnast and pole vaulter. Born in Switzerland, he moved to Bulgaria in May 1894 to teach gymnastics. He was one of two people to be credited with introducing association football to Sofia a year later. As part of the Yunak Gymnastic Society, he participated at the 1896 Summer Olympics.
He participated in the men's vault, men's pommel horse, and men's parallel bars, though did not medal. He was also entered to compete in the men's pole vault though did not start in his event. Various sources have listed Champaud as competing for either Bulgaria and Switzerland, though was considered as part of the Bulgarian delegation as he represented his gymnastics club in the country. He would be considered as the first Bulgarian Olympian.
Biography
Charles Champaud was born on 1865 in Switzerland. He was one of twelve Swiss gymnastics coaches that were sent to Bulgaria in May 1894 to coach gymnastics in local schools. The following year, he was one of two people to be credited with introducing association football to Sofia in 1895, along with fellow Swiss athlete Georges de Regibus. He taught at First Boys' High School until 1897.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-18 |title=Главатарят Шампо се яви на стадиона и удиви зрителите |trans-title=The leader Champo appeared at the stadium and amazed the spectators |url=https://www.segabg.com/category-weekend/glavataryat-shampo-se-yavi-na-stadiona-i-udivi-zritelite |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250206133324/https://www.segabg.com/category-weekend/glavataryat-shampo-se-yavi-na-stadiona-i-udivi-zritelite |archive-date=6 February 2025 |access-date=30 May 2025 |website=SEGA BG |language=bg}} Domestically, he had represented the Yunak Gymnastic Society.{{Cite web |title=Charles Champaud |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/31002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608045504/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/31002 |archive-date=8 June 2021 |access-date=30 May 2025 |work=Olympedia}}
He was invited to represent the Yunak Gymnastic Society at the 1896 Summer Olympics. As part of the Bulgarian delegation, the full delegation was consisted of five members, the head of the delegation, Todor Yonchev, who was also chairman of the gymnastics club, Junak, Dimitar Iliev, Panayot Belev, Ivan Panchov, and Champaud himself.{{Cite web |title=First participation of Bulgaria in the Olympic Games of 1896 |url=https://www.olympiansbg.org/en/history/first-participation-bulgaria-olympic-games-1896 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250530132027/https://www.olympiansbg.org/en/history/first-participation-bulgaria-olympic-games-1896 |archive-date=30 May 2025|access-date=30 May 2025 |work=Bulgarian Olympians Association |language=en}} Due to a misunderstanding with the Julian and Gregorian calendar systems,{{Cite web |title=Bulgaria (BUL) |url=https://www.olympedia.org/countries/BUL |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206081553/http://www.olympedia.org/countries/BUL |archive-date=6 December 2023 |access-date=30 May 2025 |work=Olympedia}} Champaud would be the only one to participate for the nation as the rest of the Bulgarian delegation arrived three days late.{{Cite web |date=19 February 2025 |title=Шарл Шампо и българите в Атина 1896 |trans-title=Charles Champeau and the Bulgarians in Athens 1896 |url=https://bntnews.bg/news/sharl-shampo-i-balgarite-v-atina-1896-1327277news.html |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250520015222/https://bntnews.bg/news/sharl-shampo-i-balgarite-v-atina-1896-1327277news.html |archive-date=20 May 2025 |access-date=30 May 2025 |website=BNT |language=Bulgarian}} The rest of the competitors were each paid 20 gold lev per day, and their second class travel expenses were reimbursed.
Champaud first competed in the men's vault event on 9 April at the Panathenaic Stadium;{{Cite web |title=Horse Vault, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/70002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608045514/https://www.olympedia.org/results/70002 |archive-date=8 June 2021 |access-date=30 May 2025 |work=Olympedia}} he placed fifth against fifteen other competitors. He then competed in the men's pommel horse event on the same day and placed somewhere between 3rd and 15th place.{{Cite web |title=Pommelled Horse, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/70003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805105956/https://www.olympedia.org/results/70003 |archive-date=5 August 2023 |access-date=30 May 2025 |work=Olympedia}} He last participated in the men's parallel bars event on 10 April in the same stadium and placed somewhere between third and eighteenth against seventeen other people.{{Cite web |title=Parallel Bars, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/70006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805105956/https://www.olympedia.org/results/70006 |archive-date=5 August 2023 |access-date=30 May 2025 |work=Olympedia}} Champaud was also entered to compete in the men's pole vault on 10 April but eventually did not start in his event.{{Cite web |title=Pole Vault, Men |url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/56024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229131221/https://www.olympedia.org/results/56024 |archive-date=29 December 2022 |access-date=30 May 2025 |work=Olympedia}}
In 1897, Champaud seriously injured his leg and was sent back to Switzerland for treatment. Nothing is known about his life after that. Various sources have listed Champaud as competing for either Bulgaria and Switzerland, though was considered as part of the Bulgarian delegation as he represented his gymnastics club in the country. He would be the first Bulgarian Olympian.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Sports links}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Champaud, Charles}}
Category:Swiss male artistic gymnasts
Category:Gymnasts at the 1896 Summer Olympics
Category:19th-century sportsmen
Category:Olympic gymnasts for Bulgaria
Category:Bulgarian male artistic gymnasts
Category:Year of death missing
Category:Swiss expatriates in Bulgaria
Category:Date of birth missing