János Varga
János Varga ( born October 21, 1939 in Abony ) is a former Hungarian wrestler. He was Olympic champion in 1968 in bantamweight in the Greco- Roman style.
Career
János Varga began in 1955 with the rings. With good performances in the youth and junior level he fell to the then Hungarian State coach Mihály Matura, which prompted his move to top club Honvéd Budapest. János developed there in the next few years into a world- class wrestler in two styles. As 1961 ended Imre Hódos, the Olympic champion from 1952 bantamweight, his international career, János joined its successor in the Hungarian national team. In Hungary, he mastered then the bantamweight class first in two styles, starting in 1965 in Greco -Roman style until 1972.
His debut on the international wrestling mat was János Varga 1961 at the World Championships in Yokohama, when he vice world champion bantamweight in free style was at first. The way to win the title blocked his only experienced Olympic champion and multiple world champion Hüseyin Akbaş from Turkey.
Also at the World Cup 1962 in Toledo / USA won János with the " Bronze " a medal again. Again, it was Hüseyin Akbaş who defeated him. In both years, János ranking at the World Championships in Greco-Roman style, but was not so successful as in free style with positions 8 and 6.
In 1963, the tide turned, however, when János in Helsingborg with five victories became world champion in Greco-Roman Bantamweight. Decisive for his victory over the Soviet wrestler Oleg Karavayev, after all, the Olympic champion in 1960 and world champion in 1958 and 1961 was. Too, at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 launched János in two styles. He remained without a medal, as the double burden was due to the severe competition no longer endure.
Therefore In 1965 he started only in the Greco- Roman style. At the World Championships in 1965 and 1966, he failed in each case to the German Fritz rod and reached only places in midfield.
In 1967, then began a one-time winning streak of János Varga. He won 1968 Olympic gold medal in Mexico City, was in 1970 in Edmonton World Champion and 1967 and 1970 European champion bantamweight. To this end, he finished at the World Championships in 1967 in Bucharest and the European Championships in 1968 and the second at the European Championships in 1971 to third place.
In 1969 János could start either at the European Championships in Modena still at the World Championship in Mar del Plata. In Modena, the Italian organizers, the flag of the GDR refused to hoist on which the socialist countries boycotted the event and to the world championships to Mar del Plata sent the Hungarian Wrestling Federation for financial reasons, no team.
At the end of his career János wanted to win at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 again a medal. However, he did not make it because he was defeated by Rustem Kazakov from the Soviet Union and Hans -Jürgen Veil of the Federal Republic of Germany.
1973 ended János Varga 's Ringer career and took up a position as coach of the Hungarian Wrestling Federation. In this role he led several wrestlers to win titles at Olympic Games, World and European Championships.
International success
(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, European Championship EM =, F = Freestyle, GR = Greek and Roman. Styles, Ba = bantamweight, then to 57 kg body weight)
Hungarian Championships
János Varga won the Hungarian championship ten times in the Greco-Roman style, and five times in free style, always bantamweight.