Gheorghe Berceanu
Gheorghe Berceanu ( born December 28, 1949 in Carna, Dolj county ) is a former Romanian wrestler. He was Olympic champion in 1972 in Greco-Roman style in the paper weight.
Career
Gheorghe Berceanu Ringer began his career at the age of 15 years at the Sports Club Electro Craiova. He was discovered by Ilie Marinescu, who also was his first coach. He concentrated entirely on the Greco- Roman style. Since he had started relatively late with the struggle, he was able to achieve as a junior still no success in the international junior championships. At age 18, he had already reached the national top. At a size of 1.50 meters, he struggled to 1968 flyweight and after the introduction of the paper weight in 1969 in this weight class. Paper weight had its weight limit at 48 kg body weight. To bring this weight for each event, was often associated with great tortures. Gheorghe Berceanu but managed this at all international championships in which he participated.
The international career of Gheorghe Berceanu began at the Balkan Games 1968 in Constanta, where he won the title before the Yugoslavs Zoltan Wachtler and Georgi Digisow from Bulgaria flyweight. In March 1969, he competed at the World Championship 1969 in Mar del Plata. He defeated there in the newly introduced weight paper weight Baek Seung- hyun, South Korea, Stefan Angelov, Bulgaria, Vladislav Kustov, USSR and Rahim Aliabadi from Iran and was then first world champion in this weight class. After this victory, he was delegated by the Romanian Wrestling Federation to the Army Sports Club Steaua Bucharest. He earned his rank of lieutenant, but was able to continue to fully dedicate the rings. At the European Championships in 1969 in Modena, he could not attend because the former socialist countries, including Romania was, there did not go to the start, because the Italian organizers refused to hoist the flag of the GDR.
His next start at an international championship was then at the European Championships 1970 in Berlin (East). He also won the title there with wins over Erwin Drywa from the Federal Republic of Germany, Henrik Gál from Hungary, Todor Tsankov from Bulgaria, Bernard Szczepanski from Poland and Lorenzo Calafiore from Italy. In the same year he also became world champion again in the paper weight in Edmonton. For this he needed victories over Bernard Szczepanski, Dale Kestel from the United States, Baek Seung- hyun of South Korea, Monami Haruya from Japan and Vladimir Zubkov from the USSR.
In 1971, Gheorghe Berceanu could not participate in any international championship. Again, this played a role in the policy, because the Turkish organizers said the planned European Championships in Istanbul from briefly resolved, as the once again looming difficulties with the hoisting of the flag of the GDR. At the World Championships this year in Sofia, he could not start because of an injury.
In 1972, his winning streak but on. He was first in Katowice again European Champion in paper weight. He defeated in the decisive battles Vladimir Zubkov, Ferenc Seres from Hungary and Stefan Angelov from Bulgaria. The greatest success of his career celebrated Gheorghe Berceanu then at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. He was there in superior style Olympic champion in the paper weight. Despite a free lot he needed to do victories over Bernd Drechsel from the GDR, Lennart Svensson from Sweden, Lorenzo Calafiore, Vladimir Zubkov, he even shouldered, Rahim Aliabadi from Iran and Ferenc Seres.
Starting in 1973, had to Gheorghe Berceanu grid positions at the international championships to share with Constantin Alexandru, for he was grown up for him a serious competitor on the top position in the paper weight in Romania. 1973 so he started only at the European Championships in Helsinki, where he again won the title in paper weight. He won it on Ferenc Seres, Raimo Hirvonen of Finland and Vladimir Nezwetajew from the Soviet Union, against Pavel Hristov from Bulgaria he wrestled draw and could for the first time at a major international championships a fight not win.
In 1974 Gheorghe Berceano had to pause at the World and European Championships because of a meniscus operation. But in 1975 he was able to attend the World Championships in Minsk again. He defeated there again four tough opponents, Ferenc Seres, Alexander Zajaczkowski, Poland, Salih Bora from Turkey and Stefan Angelov. However, in the final battle he lost to Wladimir Zubkov and therefore had to leave this title.
In 1976 Gheorghe Berceanu be sent to becoming the second male Olympic gold medalist in Montreal. However, he was thrown back into the preparation period by a hepatitis disease. He recovered from this illness until just before the start of the Olympic wrestler Tournament. His preparation for this tournament had suffered through the disease course. Nevertheless, he defeated in Montreal Stefan Angelov, Dietmar Hinz from the GDR, Mitchell Kowasaki from Canada, Yoshite Moriwaki of Japan and Alexander Zajaczkowski. However, in the final battle he lost against the Soviet Starter Shumakov Alexei, who had dethroned at the Soviet Championship Vladimir Zubkov, on points. He thus won the Olympic silver medal.
After the 1976 Olympic Games Gheorghe Berceanu ended his international career Ringer. He had already completed a physical education during his time with Steaua Bucharest and was from 1976 Ringer coach at this club. Meanwhile, he is retired.
International success
Romanian Championships
Gheorghe Berceanu won a total of eight times the Romanian championship in Greco-Roman. Style in paper or Flyweight
Note: all contests in Greco -Roman style, OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, EM = European Championship, paper weight, then to 48 kg Flyweight, then to 52 kg body weight
Swell
- Documentation of International Wrestling Championships FILA, 1976
- Journals Athletics and The Ringer,
- Database of the Institute for Applied Training Science at the University of Leipzig