German heavyweight boxer Edgar Gorgas from Essen lost his first round bout at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. German boxers had been allowed to participate in international championships for the first time since World War II only in the previous year and Gorgas reached the final at the European Championships but lost to the Italian Giacomo di Segni. After his boxing career Gorgas, who had trained as a butcher, had his own business in Essen-Steele. He also served his home-town club BC Steele as a boxing coach.