Dimitrios Tofalos

Dimitrios Tofalos (Greek Δημήτριος Τόφαλος, * 1884 in Patras, † November 15, 1966 ) was a Greek weightlifters and wrestlers. As the winner at the Summer Olympics and world record holder he attained great fame in Greece and is still regarded as the epitome of the strong and athletic man.

Biography

Already in his youth Tofalos noticed by his power. After he had a serious accident survived virtually unscathed, was generally regarded as a child prodigy: he had played at the station of Patras, as a freight car derailed and his arm almost shattered. The doctors at the hospital wanted to make an amputation, but his father prevented this. As a result, the arm healed again, but a hand was now shorter than the other.

Tofalos wanted to participate in St. Louis at the Olympic Games in 1904, but on the journey he fell seriously ill and had to be hospitalized in Antwerp. Two years later, in the later declared unofficial by the IOC as interludes in 1906 in Athens, he won the contest in beidarmigen weightlifting gold medal. (at that time there were no weight classes yet). He edged the Austrian Josef Steinbach and improved his own world record. Subsequently, he was received in his hometown of thousands of people. His world record lasted until 1914.

1908 did not belong to the Olympic weightlifting program. In 1910 Tofalos moved for financial reasons in the United States. He has worked as a professional wrestler and won 140 fights. In 1921 he became an American citizen. During several years he was coach of the professional wrestler Jim Londos, who belonged during the Great Depression of the most famous athletes in the sport and won six world titles.

1952 Tofalos returned back to Patras, where he spent the last years of his life. His hometown honored him in 1995, she named a new sports arena after him, the Patras Arena Dimitrios Tofalos.