Johan Richthoff

Johan Cornelius Richthoff ( born April 30, 1898 in Limhamn, Scania, † October 1, 1983 ) was a Swedish wrestler. He was twice Olympic champion (1928 in Amsterdam and Los Angeles 1932 ) and also in 1929 and 1930, a total of three times European champion.

Career

Johan Richthoff was in the 1920s and at the beginning of the 1930s, one of the best Swedish wrestler and thus also one of the best in the world. He was a giant of a figure with almost two meters in size, which was a rarity for that time. He belonged to the sports club Brottningklubben Kärnan Limhamn. He wrestled, always in the heavyweight division, in two styles, but preferred in major international championships usually the free style. In Sweden he had in Carl Westergren and Rudolf Svensson, both also Olympic champion, major competitors, which still prevented greater success by Johan Richthoff in international championships.

In the first participation in the Olympic Games in 1924, he had to still be satisfied with the 5th place in Paris in free style at heavyweight. His first international medal he won at the European Championship 1926 in Riga, where the Greco-Roman he. Style after a defeat against George Gehring from Germany finished in 3rd place. In 1927 he was at the European Championships in Greco-Roman. Style in Budapest second winner, with his defeat by the locals Raymund Bado was still surprising. At the Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928 he was employed in free style, where she won with victories in the decisive battles against Aukusti Sihvola from Finland and Edmond lady from France the gold medal.

In the years 1929 and 1930 he was European champion in each case. 1929 in Paris and 1930 in free style in Stockholm in Greco- Roman style. The finals he won it against Edmond Charlier from Belgium and Hjalmar Nystrom from Finland.

1932 Johan won Richthoff the big intern tournament in Stockholm in Greco-Roman. Style in the heavyweight division before his hard competitors Carl Westergren and Rudolf Svensson. However, he was employed at the end of his career as an amateur wrestler at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles with the free style, as Olympic champion again. He won there before not too severe competition in the heavyweight division before John Horn Riley from the U.S. and Nicholas Hirschl from Austria, where only these three wrestlers were in this competition at the start.

After the Olympics, Johan Richthoff remained in the United States and came there in 1932 and 1933 in professional wrestling on.

In Sweden he enjoyed high popularity. In 1930 he received the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal - awarded.

Achievements

(OS = Olympic Games, European Championship EM = / GR = Greco-Roman style, FS = free style / Hsg = Light Heavy Weight ( 87kg up, except: EM 1926 1927 up to 82kg ), Sg = heavyweight (over 87kg ) )

Success in the Swedish Championships

Johan Richthoff was seven times Swedish champion in both styles.