Lauri Koskela

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Lauri Koskela
Lauri Koskela
Lauri Koskela medal table

Wrestler

Finland
Olympic games
bronze 1932 Los Angeles feather
gold 1936 Berlin Light
European Championship
gold 1935 Copenhagen Light
gold 1937 Paris Light
gold 1938 Tallinn Light
bronze 1939 Oslo Light

Lauri Koskela (born May 16, 1907 in Lapua , † August 3, 1944 in Vuosalmi, Karelian Isthmus , Viipuri Province ) was a Finnish wrestler .

Career

Lauri Koskela grew up in the Finnish town of Lapua . He was a worker and was a member of the Finnish Workers' Sports Association TUL until 1931 , as he wrestled for the TUL club "Lapuan Ponnistus". Shortly before the Olympic Games in 1932, he moved to the wrestling club "Lapuan Virkiä" and thereby became a member of the official Finnish wrestling federation, which was affiliated with the world wrestling federation. In this association he became one of the most prominent wrestlers of the 1930s in the Greco-Roman style worldwide. He became Olympic champion and three times European champion. The European championship title was actually equal to the world championship title at the time, since no world championships were held, but the European wrestlers in the Greco-Roman style were the best in the world. His greatest competitor was his compatriot Aarne Reini , who defeated him at the Finnish championships in 1935, 1937 and 1938. Lauri Koskela also fought several times in Germany and fought exciting and exciting fights with Wolfgang Ehrl , Fritz Weikart and Heinrich Nettesheim , which he mostly won.

Lauri Koskela died in 1944 at the age of 37.

International success

year space competition Weight class Results
1931 1. Intern. Tournament in Helsinki feather in front of Kustaa Pihlajamäki , Finland
1932 bronze OS in Los Angeles feather with victories over Jindřich Maudr , Czechoslovakia and Ödön Zombori , Hungary and defeats against Wolfgang Ehrl , Germany and Giovanni Gozzi , Italy
1935 1. EM in Copenhagen Light with victories over Josef Graßl, Austria , Thomas Whitfield, England , Herbert Olofsson, Sweden , Wolfgang Ehrl and despite a defeat against Abraham Kurland , Denmark
1936 gold OS in Berlin Light with victories over Voldemar Väli , Estonia , Adolf Osselaer, Belgium , Dragomir Borlovan, Romania , Heinrich Nettesheim , Germany and Josef Herda , Czechoslovakia
1937 1. EM in Paris Light with wins over Erik Kalnins, Latvia , Aage Erikssen, Norway , Jean Vaissier, France , Voldemar Väli, Herbert Olofsson and despite a defeat against Fritz Weikart , Germany
1938 1. EM in Tallinn Light with victories over Voldemar Väli, Erik Kalnins and Heinrich Nettesheim
1939 3. EM in Oslo Light with wins over Arild Dahl, Norway, Aage Meier, Denmark, Heinrich Nettesheim and one defeat against Gösta Andersson , Sweden
Explanations
  • all competitions in Greco-Roman style
  • OS = Olympic Games, EM = European Championship
  • Feather weight, back then up to 61 kg, lightweight, up to 66 kg body weight

Finnish championships

year space Weight class Results
1932 1. feather before Erkki Pasanen and Juha Savolainen
1933 1. feather before Kustaa Pihlajamäki and Niilo Tikkanen
1935 2. Light behind Aarne Reini and in front of Reino Hiirvonen
1936 1. Light before Aarne Reini and Kalle Pitkänen
1937 2. Light behind Aarne Reini and in front of Aate Soini
1938 3. Light behind Aarne Reini and Aate Soini
1939 2. Light behind Aate Soini and in front of Aleksi Panttila
1940 1. Light before Erkki Knuuttila and Lauri Kangas
1941 1. Light before Erkki Knuuttila and Aarne Siik
1942 1. Light before Kauko Penttilä and Vilis Vanhanen
1943 1. Light in front of Yrjö Salonen and Aarne Siik

(all championships in Greco-Roman style)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Koskela, Lauri
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Finnish wrestler
DATE OF BIRTH May 16, 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH Lapua
DATE OF DEATH August 3, 1944
Place of death Vuosalmi