Josef Klapuch

Josef Klapuch ( born February 10, 1906 in Zbyslavice; † 18 December 1985, Prague ) was a Czechoslovak wrestler and actor.

Career

Josef Klapuch began in the mid 1920s, when he joined the police, with the rings. He was a member of the Police Sports Club ( " AFK Stráže bezpečnosti " ) Prague and soon matured, becoming a full-fledged heavyweight of about 115 kg. He struggled at first only in the Greco-Roman wrestling, but turned in the 1930s and the free style, on which he soon achieved greater success than in the Greco- Roman style. From 1928 he participated in the Czechoslovak championships, but was initially overshadowed by Josef Urban, the silver medalist at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in the Greco- Roman style.

At his first start in an international championship Josef Klapuch came in 1934. He started at the European Championships in Rome in Greco- Roman style, and finished 4th. Against the then dominant in Europe in the heavyweight wrestler Rudolf Svensson from Sweden and Kurt Horn Fischer from Germany, he had this insert defeats. Even better, it ran for him at the European Championships in the free style of the same year in Stockholm. Josef won the silver medal behind the Sweden Thure Sjöstedt. With four players he needed it to contest only two fights. In a large wrestler tournament in Nuremberg in 1934 he even managed a points victory over the reigning European Champion Kurt Horn fishermen.

In 1935 he started only at the European Championships in free style in Brussels and had to settle there with the 4th Place. After a victory over Belgian local hero Leon Charlier he lost to the Swede Nils Åkerlindh and those taking part for the first time at a freestyle tournament Kurt Horn fishermen.

At the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, Josef Klapuch involved in two styles. When first taking place freestyle tournament he played, while the biggest success of his wrestler 's career. He won the silver medal with three victories and was subject only to the ligand in Berlin located in a super form Estonians Kristjan Palusalu. In Greco-Roman style, he had to deal with a win and two losses after the 3rd round retire and finished in the final result the 7th Place.

In 1937 he won a medal also at the European Championships in Greco-Roman style in Paris with the 3rd place. He celebrated at this championship with three wins and had to re- admit defeat Palusalu and Sweden John Nyman. For Josef Klapuch won this year at the European Championships in free style in Munich, which was to be his last participation in an international championship at the same time, not a medal. He defeated in the championship for the first time while Kurt Horn fisherman, but dropped out after the third round, while Horn fishermen despite the defeat against him became European Champion.

From 1938 launched Josef Klapuch after the invasion of the Nazis in his native country in any international championship more.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, European Championship EM =, GR = Greco-Roman style, F = Freestyle, S = Heavy weight, then over 87 kg body weight)

Czechoslovak championships

Josef Klapuch won seven times the Czechoslovak championship in Greco-Roman wrestling and three times in free style, each in the heavyweight division. Besides, he was also twice Czechoslovak Vice weightlifting champion of the heavyweight

Swell

• Documentation of International Wrestling Championships FILA, 1976
• Www.czech-wrestling.Cz/www/Zapas/Sportovci/czech_republic.htm