Johan Olin
Johan Frederik Olin (* June 30, 1883 in Vihti, † December 3, 1928 in Ingå ) was a Finnish wrestler. He won a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling in the heavyweight division at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912. He was also a world champion professional wrestler in free style.
Life
Johan Olin began as a teenager with the rings. He was a member of heavy athletics club Helsingin Atletikklubi. In 1911 he was first employed in an international championship, the World Championships in Helsinki. He was also at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912 at the start. In 1915 he went to the United States, was called there John Olin and became a professional wrestler. He brought it up to the 1916 world champion professional wrestler in free style. Altogether he spent seven years in the United States. In 1922 he returned to Helsinki. Johan Olin died already in 1928 at the age of only 45 years.
Success as an amateur wrestler
Although Johan Olin could never place in the Finnish Championships in the heavyweight division in the first three winners, he was employed in 1915 at the World Championships in Helsinki. He started there in the heavyweight division and lost all the battles he had to contest against his compatriots Finnish Yrjö Saarela, Emil Backenius, Adolf Lindfors and Alex Järvinen. He therefore finished only fifth and last place in five participants.
Much better it was for him a year later, at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912, the heavy- weight, Greek and Roman. Style, he won there on Raoul Paoli from France, Gustaf Lindström from Sweden and Jacob Neser from Germany. Then came a loss to Kalle Viljamaa and a victory over Yrjö Saarela, both compatriots from him. In his last fight of the main round he was then without a fight winner over Sören Marius Jensen from Denmark. But he was in accordance with the former Regulations that's not Olympic, but had in a specially scheduled showdown once again compete against each Yrjö Saarela. This Entscheidugnskampf won Saarela and Johan Olin had to settle for the silver medal.
Career as a professional wrestler
Johan Olin went in 1915 in the United States and was there in Worcester (Massachusetts ) resident. He called himself there John Olin and turned over to the free style. After some building battles against weaker opponents he got on 11 December 1916 in Springfield ( Massachusetts) chance against the reigning world champion in free style Joe Stecher to fight for the title. Both wrestlers were doing after a fight time of 2 hours and 20 minutes invalidated from the rings. While John Olin went back in the ring, Joe Stecher could not continue to fight the fight due to a shoulder injury he had sustained in this fall. New world champion was so John Olin. However, this victory of Olin was not recognized by all then existing professional wrestler associations and in all American states. Some still led Joe Stecher as world champion because he has not been defeated by Olin in combat.
On May 2, 1917 John Olin lost the world title in Chicago to Ed Lewis, who defeated him after a crucial time of 2 hours and 37 minutes. History repeats itself: John Olin had to give up this fight due to a shoulder injury. Strangely, but this time all recognized organizations the new world champion Ed " Strangler " Lewis, even though he had Olin also not defeated in battle.
In the following years John Olin several times again to become world champion tried. There he did not succeed. He played the following battles:
- On 15 March 1918, he lost in Savannah, against Ed Lewis after a fight time of 1 hour and 73 minutes;
- On April 12, 1918, he lost in Des Moines against Earl Caddock in two courses in 54 minutes and 10 seconds and 10 minutes and 10 seconds;
- December 15, 1919, he lost in Springfield vs. Joe Stecher after 2 hours and 2 minutes fighting time by a Armschere;
- November 25, 1920, he lost in Boston vs Joe Stecher, after a period of struggle forward 43 minutes and 45 seconds by a head clamp;
- In Springfield, he lost on January 16, 1922 in Columbus and on February 7, 1922 respectively against the Stanislaus Zbyszko Poland