Thure Andersson

Thure Andersson (born April 27, 1907 in Ölme, Kristinehamn, Värmland , † January 20, 1976 in Karlstad , Värmland) was a Swedish wrestler . He won at the Olympic Games in 1936 in Berlin a silver medal in free style at welterweight .

Life

Thure Andersson belonged to the wrestling club BK Orion Karlstad . He began wrestling as a teenager and, as was customary in Sweden at the time, was only active in the Greco-Roman style at the beginning of his career. From 1932 he tried his hand at free style. In 1933 he became Swedish welterweight champion in the Greco-Roman style. In 1934 and 1936 he won this title in free style, again in welterweight.

The international career of it began in 1934, when he was in Stockholm Vice European champion was in free style welterweight. He defeated it Arvi Pihlajamäki from Finland and Károly Kárpáti from Hungary and lost in the final battle against Jean Földeák from Germany . In 1935 he was defeated in the Swedish championship against Stig Andersson and was therefore not used at the European championship. In 1936, however, he was sent to the Olympic Games in Berlin . He started there in the free style in the welterweight division and defeated Joseph Samec from Czechoslovakia in his first fight . In his second fight he was defeated by Josef Paar from Germany. Thure Andersson then achieved shoulder victories over John O'Hara, Australia , Frank Lewis , USA and Joseph Schleimer , Canada , as well as a point win over Jean Jourlin from France . Overall, Thure Andersson was charged with 4 missing points. Frank Lewis, who had only lost to Andersson and otherwise achieved four shoulder wins, had only 3 missing points in the final bill and was therefore Olympic champion ahead of Thure Andersson, who won the silver medal. Josef Paar was eliminated before the finals.

In 1937 Thure Andersson started again at the European Championships in Munich . But there he only got one victory over Karel Podzembsky, Czechoslovakia. He lost to Kalman Sovari , Hungary and Willy Angst from Switzerland and only came in 5th place.

He did not come to any further appearances at international championships. At that time there were no world championships and from 1938 there were no more European championships in free style due to the uncertain political situation. In addition, it has to be taken into account that Thure Andersson in Sweden had competitors in his weight class in Gunnar Glans , Stig Andersson, Gösta Andersson and Rudolf Svedberg , all of whom were among the absolute best in the world and competed for the starting positions.

International success

year	space	competition	Weight class	Results
1934	2.	EM in Stockholm	Welter	after victories over Arvi Pihlajamäki, Finland and Károly Kárpáti , Hungary and a defeat against Jean Földeák , Germany
1936	silver	OS in Berlin	Welter	after a victory over Joseph Samec, Czechoslovakia , a defeat against Josef Paar , Germany and victories over John O'Hara, Australia , Frank Lewis , USA , Jean Jourlin , France and Joseph Schleimer , Canada
1937	5.	EM in Munich	Welter	after a victory over Karel Podzembsky, Czechoslovakia and defeats against Kalman Sovari , Hungary and Willy Angst , Switzerland

Swedish championships

Thure Andersson was Swedish champion in the Greco-Roman style in 1933 and in the free style in 1934 and 1936, each in the welterweight division.

Explanations

• OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship
• all international competitions in free style
• Welter weight, back then up to 73 kg body weight

swell

• Athletics magazine
• Documentation of FILA's International Wrestling Championships, 1976
• "Svensk Brottning 100 år", published by the Swedish Wrestling Federation, 2009

Web links

• Brief portrait of Thure Andersson