Gösta Jönsson-Frändfors

Gösta Jönsson-Frändfors (born November 25, 1915 in Stockholm , † August 8, 1973 in Huddinge , Stockholm) was a Swedish wrestler . He won a medal in free style at the Olympic Games in 1936 and 1948. He also became European champion in the Greco-Roman style in 1947 .

Career

Gösta Valdemar Jönsson-Frändfors began wrestling as a teenager in Stockholm. His first club was Huddinge BK (Brottning Club). Later he also wrestled for BK Athén Stockholm and from 1940 for Brandkårens BK Stockholm . He was very versatile and had many successes both in the free style and in the Greco-Roman style. He was a firefighter by profession.

In 1935, at the age of 20, he was the first Swedish champion in free style in featherweight . By the end of his career in 1950, he won 22 more Swedish championship titles in both styles in the weight classes feather, light and welterweight.

In 1935 the international career of Gösta Jönsson-Frändfors began. It was used in the free style European championships in Brussels. There he still had to learn the hard way, because he lost both fights that he played, but with Kustaa Pihlajamäki from Finland and Ferenc Tóth from Hungary he had two absolute top wrestlers as opponents.

At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin he wrestled again in free style in featherweight. There he won over Nevill Hall from South Africa, Marco Gavelli from Italy, Josef Böck from Germany, Mitsuo Mizutani from Japan and John Pettigrew from Canada. He lost to Francis Millard from the United States. He won the bronze medal with it .

In 1937 Gösta Jönsson-Frändfors competed for the first time in lightweight at the European Championships in Munich in free style . He defeated John Wood from England, Hermanni Pihlajamäki from Finland and Fritz Vordermann from Switzerland in Munich , but lost in the final against Heinrich Nettesheim from Germany. He came in 2nd place.

In 1938 and 1939, due to the explosive political situation, there were no more European championships in the free style, only in the Greco-Roman style, for which Gösta Jönsson-Frändfors was unable to qualify for both Swedish championships. He was therefore only able to continue his international wrestling career after the Second World War. That was very regrettable for him because he missed the opportunity to be successful at other Olympic Games in 1940 and 1944.

In 1946 the European Free Style Championships were held in his hometown of Stockholm. He started there in the lightweight and defeated Karoly Ferencz from Hungary, Jerome Riské from Belgium, Hermann Baumann from Switzerland and Lauri Kangas from Finland. In the final fight he lost to Celal Atik from Turkey and came in 2nd place.

Gösta Jönsson-Frändfors was able to celebrate the first title win at an international championship in 1947 at the European championship in Prague in Greco-Roman style. In the lightweight he defeated August Hojrup from Denmark, Egil Solsvik from Norway, Johannes Munnikes from the Netherlands, Marcel Lejeune from France and Armenak Jaltyrjan from the Soviet Union.

At the Olympic Games in London in 1948 he ended his international wrestling career by winning the silver medal in free style in the lightweight. He won over Laszlo Brazsi from Hungary, A. Ries from South Africa, William Koll from the United States and Hermann Baumann. In the fight for the gold medal he had to admit defeat to Celat Atik.

International success

year	space	competition	style	Weight class	Results
1935	7th	EM in Brussels	F.	feather	after defeats against Kustaa Pihlajamäki, Finland and Ferenc Tóth, Hungary
1936	bronze	OS in Berlin	F.	feather	after victories over Nevill Hall, South Africa, Marco Gavelli, Italy, Josef Böck, Germany, Mitsuo Mizutani, Japan and John Pettigrew, Canada and a defeat against Francis Millard , USA
1937	2.	EM in Munich	F.	Light	after victories over John Wood, England, Hermanni Pihlajamäüki, Finland and Fritz Vordermann, Switzerland and a defeat against Heinrich Nettesheim , Germany
1946	2.	EM in Stockholm	F.	Light	after victories over Karoly Ferencz, Hungary, Jerome Riské, Belgium, Hermann Baumann, Switzerland and Lauri Kangas, Finland and a defeat against Celal Atik , Turkey
1947	1.	EM in Prague	GR	Light	after victories over August Hojrup, Denmark, Egil Solsvik, Norway, Johannes Munnikes, Netherlands, Marcel Lejeune, France and Armenak Jaltyrjan , USSR
1948	silver	OS in London	F.	Light	after victories over Laszlo Brazsi, Hungary, A. Ries, South Africa, William Koll, USA and Hermann Baumann and a defeat against Celal Atik

Explanations

• F = free style, GR = Greco-Roman style
• Feather weight, weight class at that time up to 61 kg, lightweight, up to 66 or 67 kg and welter weight, up to 74 kg body weight
• OS = Olympic Games, EM = European Championship

literature

• Trade journal Athletik, years 1935 and 1936, Official. Organ of the German Amateur Heavy Athletics Association (DASV) from 1891, Karlsruhe.
• Kraftsport trade journal, born 1938, Official. Organ of the specialist office for heavy athletics, Munich, editor-in-chief Josef Kiermeier.
• Trade journal Athletik, years 1948 to 1950, Official. Organ of the German Athletes Association (DAB), Karlsruhe, publisher Werner Artmann.
• Chronicle "Svensk Brottning 100 år", editor Thure Petersson, 2009.
• Documentation of FILA's international Wrestling Championships, 1976.

Web links

• Gösta Jönsson-Frändfors in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• Profile of Gösta Jönsson-Frändfors at the Institute for Applied Training Science
• Portrait of Gösta Jönsson Frändfors in Swedish