Anders Larsson, or “Padd-Anders” as he was known, originally got the chance to wrestle at the Antwerpen Olympics as a late replacement. He was completely without recent merits as his only Swedish Championship dated back to 1910. He not only became a surprise gold medalist but also a fortunate one because his opponent in the final, Swiss wrestler Charles Courant, injured his ankle in the semifinal and was at less than full strength in the final.
Larsson got his nickname from his hands, which were as big as paddles. During a night out in Antwerpen, he saved the life of a Norwegian Olympian. When the Norwegian was attacked with a knife in a dance club, the assailant’s arm got caught in the vise of Larsson’s strong arms. After his sporting career, Larsson worked as a restaurant caretaker and as a second job gave lessons in self-defense to the armed forces as well as to the police.
Sweden