Georges Colpaert

Gent-native Georges Colpaert started his wrestling career while he was a sailor in the Belgian military in 1923, with the Belgische Soldatenkring in Antwerpen (Antwerp). He quickly found success, winning the heavyweight title for Flanders in 1924. A long-time member of the Verenigde Krachtmeters club of his hometown, Colpaert won three consecutive national heavyweight wrestling championship titles from 1926 to 1928 before being selected to represent his country at the Amsterdam Olympic Games. Competing in the heavyweight Greco-Roman tournament there, he lost his only match in round one to Josef Urban of Czechoslovakia. Nicknamed de kolos (the colossus) from Gent, Colpaert continued to remain active as a wrestler until around 1930. Outside of wrestling, he was a well-known employee at the velodrome in Gent.