Tomas Johansson (wrestler)
Karl Tomas Ingemar Johansson ( born July 20, 1962 in Haparanda ) is a former Swedish wrestler. He was world champion in 1986 and winner of the Olympic silver medal in Barcelona in 1992 in Greco-Roman style in the super heavyweight division.
Career
Tomas Johansson began as a teenager in 1972 in Haparanda SKT with the rings. This club he was a member from 1972 to 1997. His trainer during his long career were L. Myllari, Olle Björken and Pelle Stalnaeke. In his early career started Johansson in two styles freestyle wrestling and Greco- Roman, later he focused on the Greco- Roman style. He was at junior level initially a heavyweight (up to 100 kg body weight) and finished in 1979 in this class at the Junior European Championships in Haparanda home the 6th place in the Greco- Roman style. Then Johansson joined the super heavyweight (then up to 130 kg body weight) and in 1981 became the first time Swedish champion in the seniors in the Greco- Roman style. In the same year Johansson started with 19 years for the first time at the European Championships in Greco -Roman style in Gothenburg, where he finished a respectable 5th place. At the World Championships the same year in Oslo, he confirmed this performance with a 6th place.
While Tomas Johansson at all major tournaments won a medal at junior level, success was at senior level in coming. At the World Championships 1983 in Kiev Johansson reached the 7th place and missed at the European Championships in Jönköping a year later in freestyle with the 4th place just a medal. He also came in Greco-Roman wrestling in 6th place
At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles due to the absence of the Eastern European competition, the level of sports for an international tournament was relatively weak. Tomas Johansson took advantage of this opportunity and won the silver medal in the Super Heavyweight his first medal at senior level. The joy did not last long, however, because Johansson was disqualified by reason of demonstrated taking banned muscle- enhancing agents and had to return his medal. Furthermore, it was given one years grounding of all competitions.
After the lock Tomas Johansson returned successful than ever back on the wrestling mat. First, he won the bronze medal in Greco-Roman at the European Championships in 1986 in Athens at Super Heavyweight. Style in which he wrestled exclusively from then on. Then Johansson won in the same year at the World Championships in Budapest surprising the world title. In the final he defeated while the Soviet top favorites Vladimir Grigoryev on points.
1987 Johansson was each Vice - European Champion and Vice World Champion. He failed each time to the strong Soviet champion Igor Rostorozki, but could it twice beat the strong Bulgarian champion Rangel Gerowski.
In the spring of 1988, Tomas Johansson launched at the European Championships in Norway Kolbotn. Among his opponents was located here for the first time the Soviet exceptional athlete Alexander Karelin, who was 20 years old at that time and had not lost a international comparison. This incredible series should last another 12 years.
Tomas Johansson won in his further career behind Karelin still several medals. In 1988 he succeeded in winning the Olympic bronze medal. The following year, he also took the bronze in each place at the European and World Championships. 1990 Johansson in Rome behind Karelin even Vice World Champion and one year later in Aschaffenburg European vice-champion. At the 1991 World Championships in Varna but his winning streak came to an abrupt end when he failed already in the first round of the German Masters Raimund Edfelder. Both wrestlers took during the fight no valuation reached, were disqualified and landed together on the last place.
At the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 Johansson reached the final and had to ultimately only the series champion Alexander Karelin defeated, which shouldered him about 1:33 minutes.
In 1993, it came during the World Championships in Stockholm to the new edition of the Olympic final. Again, the winner was Alexander Karelin. Tomas Johansson ultimately won the bronze medal, which was to be his last medal at an international championship.
In the following years, Tomas Johansson occupied at the international championships Seats 4 to 7 He was relying more and more that he no longer has his old level of performance. Featured so far usually only Alexander Karelin for Johansson an insurmountable barrier, the way he always had often also a new generation of wrestlers, as can, for example, Matt Ghaffari, Piotr Kotok, Sergei Mureiko and Juha Ahokas precedence. Therefore, Thomas Johansson ended after the 1996 Olympics his international career Ringer.
Johansson started up in 1998 for the German Bundesliga club SV " Siegfried" Hallberg moss and then for a year for the BK " Loke " Gävle, before he finally took the leave of the mat. Today he works as a trainer and conducts seminars on the rings.
In 1986, Johansson was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal - and was awarded the Radiosportens Jerringpris.
Competitive balance (Overview)
* 2nd place subsequently stripped for doping
International success
(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, European Championship EM =, GR = Greek and Roman. Style, F = Freestyle, S = Heavy weight, SS = Super - Heavyweight, then up to 100 kg and 130 kg body weight)
Swedish Championships
Tomas Johansson won sixteen times ( 1981-84 and 1986-97 ) the Swedish championship in Greco-Roman style in the super heavyweight class.