Georg Lurich

Georg Lurich, ca.1905

Georg Lurich (born April 10 ^{. Jul} / 22 April 1876 ^greg. In Väike-Maarja , Governorate of Estonia , Russian Empire ; † 22. January 1920 in Armavir , Krasnodar region ) was a wrestler and weightlifter .

Sporting successes

Georg Lurich grew up as a rather sickly child. His enthusiasm for sport and iron training made him one of the best wrestlers in the Greco-Roman style and one of the most successful weightlifters in the Russian governorate of Estonia at the age of 20.

In 1897/98 Lurich toured Estonia and Livonia in front of an enthusiastic audience and gave the starting signal for a hitherto unknown enthusiasm for athletics in the governorate. From 1896 Lurich was the trainer of the weightlifter and wrestler Georg Hackenschmidt (1878–1968), whom he helped to great success.

From 1895 until his death in 1920 he traveled to numerous competitions and exhibitions through Russia and Western Europe. From 1913 to 1917 he worked as a freestyle wrestler in the USA . In 1913, Lurich defeated the previous wrestling world champion, Frank Gotch, in Kansas City .

Lurich also set numerous records in one-handed and two-handed weightlifting, took part in bodybuilding competitions and was committed to popular sports and a healthy lifestyle. For many young people he was a sporting idol of his time.

public relation

In addition to his sporting achievements, the eloquent Lurich showed a great sense of public relations: in 1909 the Emir of Bukhara had two strong camels compete against Lurich, who were supposed to pull his arms apart. Lurich won and got the camels as a present. However, these perished a short time later on his brother's farm in the village of Velliste in the harsh Estonian climate. Another story fascinated the public: when Lurich's medals and trophies were displayed in a shop window in Tallinn, strangers stole the prizes that had been collected. The prey has disappeared to this day.

First World War

At the end of his time in America, Lurich returned to Estonia via Japan, China and Russia in November 1917. A few days later, German troops took Tallinn in an offensive during the First World War . Lurich fled with his friend, the Estonian wrestler Aleksander Aberg (1881–1920), via Petrograd to Armavir in the northern Caucasus . Originally both wanted to continue their escape by boat across the Black Sea , but were held in by the turmoil of the Russian civil war that reached Armavir before their departure. Lurich died there in January 1920 at the age of 43 of typhoid , Aberg three weeks later of pneumonia . Both wrestlers were buried in Armavir.

literature

• Olaf Langsepp: Georg Lurich. Tallinn 1958
• Voldemar Veedam: Lurich Ameerikas. Toronto 1981

Web links

Commons : Georg Lurich  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• CV and pictures of Georg Lurich (SC Lurich 02 Berlin eV)
• The phenomenon of an athlete. Georg Lurich from a historical figure to the hero of folk tales
• Detailed CV and pictures (Estonian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Tiit Kändler: Sajandi 100 Eesti suurkuju. Tallinn 2002, pp. 102f. ( ISBN 9985-70-102-X )