Gazanfer bilge

Gazanfer Bilge (born July 23, 1924 in Karamürsel , Kocaeli , † April 20, 2008 in Istanbul ) was a Turkish wrestler . He was at the 1948 Olympic Games in London Olympic champion in free style at featherweight.

Career

Gazanfer Bilge began wrestling in 1940 during his military service. He worked in both styles, but usually preferred the free style.

When a European championship was held in Stockholm for the first time after the Second World War in 1946 , Gazanfer Bilge was also at the start and won the European featherweight title in free style. He also defeated the strong Olle Anderberg from Sweden and the experienced European champion from 1933 and 1937 Ferenc Tóth from Hungary .

At the European Championships in Prague in 1947 in the Greco-Roman style, he did not get along so well, lost after two victorious fights against the Czech Frantisek Kotrbary and Olle Anderberg and only reached 5th place.

At the 1948 Olympic Games in London, he started again in free style. He was in top form there and won five of the six fights that he had to contest, five early. Only the Swede Ivar Sjölin came with him over time. The gold medal was the reward for his good work.

After 1948 Gazanfer Bilge did not participate in any international championships. He was replaced by Nurettin Zafer and Mehmet Oktav . However, he did not announce his resignation from wrestling until 1953. After this resignation, Gazanfer made great contributions in the field of youth education and upbringing. In 2002 he received a high award from the "International Fair Play Committee" (CIPP) in Paris. In addition, a sports hall was named after him in Büyükcekmece, Istanbul, in August 2006.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, EM = European Championship, F = free style, GR = Greco-Roman style, Fe = featherweight, at that time up to 62 kg body weight)

• 1946, 1st place , EM in Stockholm, F, Fe, with victories over Paavo Hietala, Finland , Leslie Dimmock, Great Britain , Olle Anderberg, Sweden and Ferenc Toth, Hungary;
• 1947, 5th place , EM in Prague, GR, Fe, with victories over Dagfin Huseby, Norway and Roger François , France and defeats against Frantisek Kotrbary, Czechoslovakia and Olle Anderberg;
• 1948, gold medal , OS in London, F, Fe, with victories over Ferenc Toth, Hassan Sadian, Iran , A. Jourville, France, Hal Moore, USA , Paavo Hietala and Ivar Sjölin , Sweden.

swell

• 1) Documentation of International Wrestling Championships of the FILA, 1976,
• 2) Website of the Turkish "Who is who?"

Web links

• Profile of Gazanfer Bilge at the Institute of Applied Exercise Science
• Gazanfer Bilge in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )
• Gazanfer Bilge in Turkish Who is who? (Turkish)