Frank Lewis (wrestler)

Frank Wiatt Lewis (wrestler) (born June 12, 1912 in Coleman, Texas , † August 16, 1998 in Stillwater, Oklahoma ) was an American wrestler . He became a free style welterweight Olympic champion in 1936 .

Career

Frank Lewis began wrestling as a teenager in Cushing, Oklahoma High School . At that time, however, he also practiced other sports. After high school, he went to Oklahoma State University and did the same from an athletic point of view. It wasn't until 1933 that he decided to concentrate entirely on wrestling. In doing so, he was active in the free style, because the US universities only wrestled in this style.

As early as 1934, the first successes in wrestling were achieved. He finished this year behind Ben Bishop at the NCAA Championships (US student championships) in the welterweight category. In 1935 he won the welterweight title in front of Howard McGrath and Joe Kalpin. He also became AAU champion (American champion) in 1935. In 1936 he prevailed against Walter Jacob in the US Olympic trials (trials) in the welterweight division and was nominated for the Olympic Games in Berlin.

At the Olympic Games in Berlin , Frank Lewis scored shoulder victories over Julien Beke from Belgium , Joseph Schleimer from Canada and Hüseyin Ercetin from Turkey . In his fourth fight he suffered a shoulder defeat against Thure Andersson from Sweden , the vice- European champion from 1934. In his last fight he got another victory over Willy Angst from Switzerland . So he had 3 missing points. Frank Lewis ultimately owes his Olympic victory to the German Josef Paar , who shouldered Thure Andersson in his second fight. Couple only managed to win two points, in addition, he suffered a point defeat in the fight against the French ex-European champion Jean Jourlin , which means he was eliminated early because he had scored 5 missing points. Andersson had 4 missing points in the final account because, in addition to losing to Paar against Jean Jourlin, he “only” had a point win. Therefore, with 4 missing points at the end of the tournament, he was one missing point worse than Frank Lewis, who won the gold medal, while Ture Andersson had to be content with the silver medal .

Frank Lewis did not take part in other international championships (world championships were not held at that time). He ended his wrestling career after his Olympic victory.

Frank Lewis finished his studies and then worked as a businessman and rancher in Tulsa . He was married and had two sons and two daughters.

International success

year	space	Competitions	Weight class	Results
1936	gold	OS in Berlin	Welter	after victories over Julien Beke, Belgium , Joseph Schleimer , Canada and Hüseyin Ercetin, Turkey , a shoulder defeat against Thure Andersson , Sweden and a shoulder win over Willy Angst , Switzerland

National successes

year	space	Competitions	Weight class	Results
1934	2.	NCAA championships	Welter	behind Ben Bishop
1935	1.	NCAA championships	Welter	before Howard McGrath and Joe Kalpin
1935	1.	AAU championships	Welter
1936	1.	Olympic trials	Welter	before Walter Jacob

Explanations

• all free style competitions
• OS = Olympic Games
• NCAA = American Student Sports Association
• AAU = Amateur Athletes Union

swell

• Athletics magazine
• Documentation of FILA's International Wrestling Championships, 1976
• Oklahoma State University website
• US Wrestling Association website (www.themat.com)

Web links

Film report about Frank Lewis