Abraham Kurland

Abraham Kurland ( born June 10, 1912 in Odense, † 14 March 1999) was a Danish wrestler and silver medalist at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in the Greco-Roman style, Lightweight.

Career

Abraham Kurland grew up in Copenhagen. He was Jewish, and began as a teenager in the Jewish sports club " Hakoah " Copenhagen along with two brothers with the rings. He quickly developed into an outstanding wrestler in the Greco-Roman. Style and represented Denmark in 1932 at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in lightweight, Greek and Roman. Style. This was his first start in an international championship. Abraham won there, but good luck with the silver medal. In this tournament, he managed just one win in the first round against the Japanese Miyazaki. In the second round he lost to the German champion Eduard Sperling and in the third round he had a bye. Sperling won his first two fights on points and was defeated in the third round against Erik Malmberg from Sweden. He was excreted, while Kurland was able to fight for its free lot in the 4th round against Malmberg to the Olympic victory and lost. Malmberg as was Olympic champion, silver medalist and Courland Sperling had to settle for the bronze medal, although he had beaten superior Kurland on points.

At the European Championships in 1933 in Helsinki Abraham Kurland retired after two defeats already after the second round. The next year he but big crowed at the European Championships in Rome. He won among others against the Olympic champion from 1928 Voldemar Väli from Estonia and against Eduard Sperling, after all, three times European Champion and was subject only to the Finns Aarne cleaning.

Even better ranking Abraham Kurland at the European Championships in Greco-Roman. Style 1935 in Copenhagen. He won six fights, defeating the possibility Lauri Koskela from Finland on points. After six rounds, he had three incorrect points that stemmed from three -point victories. Koskela won next to his defeat by Kurland four times on shoulder, for which he was charged with no blemish points and had a round bye. For the defeat against Kurland he received two faulty points and suddenly stood with two faulty points as European champion arrangements, in Courland, the point of his three victories had three incorrect points. So Kurland failed because of the inadequacy of the then rating system. He was without doubt the best wrestler of this European Championship at lightweight.

At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin Abraham Kurland did not participate because he was not notified of his association. Whether the Danish government had exerted influence on the dressing so as not to annoy the Nazis, still would need to be clarified. Kurland, 1936 certainly one of the best wrestlers in the lightweight in the Graeco-Roman. Style has been deprived of the chance Olympic champion, won this item defeated by him a year earlier, to be Lauri Koskela. At the European Championships in 1937 and 1938 in Paris and Tallinn Abraham Kurland was able to win any medals.

Shortly before the invasion of Denmark by Hitler's Wehrmacht Abraham Kurland was able to escape to Sweden. After 1945 he returned to Denmark and began as " Hakoah " Copenhagen did not exist anymore, the " Idræts Club " Copenhagen again with the rings. In 1948, he was able to qualify at age 36 for the Olympic Games in London. But in London he won only a battle, and came on the 7th Place.

After 1948, Abraham Kurland trained to 1962, the Danish national team wrestler.

Achievements

(OS = Olympic Games, European Championship EM =, GR = Greek and Roman. Style, F = freestyle, Le = Lightweight, then to 66 kg body weight)

Abraham Kurland won 1932-1949 twelve times the Danish championship at lightweight in the Graeco-Roman. Style.