Osamu Watanabe

Osamu Watanabe (Japanese渡 辺 长 武, Osamu Watanabe, born October 21, 1940 in Wassamu, Hokkaidō ) is a former Japanese wrestler. He was Olympic champion in 1964 in the free style in featherweight.

Career

Osamu Watanabe learned the rings as part of a special program of the Japanese Olympic Committee at a high school. He then attended the Amo University in Tokyo, where he, as he now belonged to the top Japanese wrestlers in free style, specifically could prepare for the big international competitions. His first international championship played Osamu in 1962 at the Asian Games in Jakarta, where he gained superior featherweight.

In the same year Osamu brought in Toledo / USA with five wins and his first world featherweight title. Also at the World Championships in 1963 in Sofia Osamu remained unbeaten. The strong wrestler Vladimir Rubaschwili from the Soviet Union, Mohammad Ebrahim Seifpour from Iran and Stancho Kolev Ivanov from Bulgaria had no chance against him.

As a big favorite Osamu 1964, in Tokyo in the Olympic tournament at featherweight. He was the favorite position also fully meets and came up with six convincing victories to Olympic victory.

After Tokyo Osamu Watanabe retired from active wrestler sport. He had won 186 matches in a row. Also at the international championships, which he denied, he ended up only victories.

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, F = free style, Fe = featherweight, then to 63 kg body weight)