Kauko Kiisseli

Kauko Kiisseli (born March 9, 1912 in Ruokolahti , † 1981 ) was a Finnish wrestler . In 1939 he became European bantamweight champion in the Greco-Roman style .

Career

Kauko Kiisseli started wrestling as a teenager. During his long career he belonged to the following wrestling clubs : Tainionkosken Urheilijoita , Lahden Ahkeraa and Valkeakosken Hakaa . He wrestled almost exclusively in the Greco-Roman style and always in the lightest weight class at the time, the bantamweight. His younger brother Torsti Ringer was also a member of his family and won two medals at Finnish championships.

Kauko Kiisseli was Finnish champion in the Greco-Roman style in bantamweight six times in his career. He won his first title in 1939, the last in 1946. He also won five other medals at Finnish championships.

He first appeared on the international wrestling stage in 1939. Before that, he could not prevail against Väinö Perttunen in Finland . At the European Championships this year in Oslo he achieved a great triumph in bantamweight, because he immediately became European champion with victories over Kenan Olcay , Turkey , Eigil Johansen, Denmark , Georg Pulheim , Germany and Kurt Pettersén , Sweden .

A few weeks after this victory, the Second World War began , which interrupted his international career for five years. Presumably he would otherwise have been able to compete in two Olympic Games (1940 and 1944) and in many European championships. So he only had one start at the 1947 European Championship in Prague . He came there in the bantamweight in Greco-Roman style to a victory over Lajos Bencze from Hungary , but lost against Reidar Mearli from Norway and Lorentz Freij from Sweden and came in 6th place.

He did not contest any other international championships.

International success

year	space	competition	Weight class	style	Results
1939	1.	EM in Oslo	Bantam	GR	after victories over Kenan Olcay , Turkey , Eigil Johansen, Denmark , Georg Pulheim , Germany and Kurt Pettersén , Sweden
1947	6th	EM in Prague	Bantam	GR	after a loss against Reidar Mearli , Norway , a victory against Lajos Bencze , Hungary and a loss against Lorentz Freij , Sweden

Finnish championships

Kiisseli achieved the following placements at the Finnish Championships:

year	space	Weight class	style	Results
1936	3.	Bantam	GR	behind Esko Hjelt and Heikki Kärkkainen
1937	2.	Bantam	GR	behind Väinö Perttunen , before V. Nevalainen
1938	2.	Bantam	GR	behind Väinö Perttunen, before Guido Vestergård
1939	1.	Bantam	GR	before Antti Halonen and Armas Jaskari
1940	1.	Bantam	GR	before Esa Nykänen and V. Nevalainen
1941	1.	Bantam	GR	before Esa Nykänen and Veikko Holmberg
1942	2.	Bantam	GR	behind Veikko Holmberg, in front of V. Meriluoto
1943	1.	Bantam	GR	ahead of Erkki Johansson and Reino Kangasmäki
1944	1.	Bantam	GR	ahead of Erkki Johansson and Arvo Havukainen
1945	2.	Bantam	F.	behind Erkki Johansson, in front of Torsti Kiisseli
1946	1.	Bantam	GR	before ErkkiJohansson and Antti Halonen

Explanations

• EM = European Championship
• GR = Greco-Roman style, F = freestyle
• Bantam weight, at that time up to 56 kg body weight

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Markku Siukonen, Risto Rantala: Kaikki urheilusta. Otava, 2006, p. 458, ISBN 978-951-1-20841-9
2. ^ Documentation of FILA's International Wrestling Championships, 1976
3. ↑ tulpaini.fi , accessed June 24, 2014