After his previous successes, including the silver medal in Los Angeles in 1932, Abraham Kurland was the clear favorite for Berlin in 1936, but he boycotted the Games because of his Jewish faith. At the European Championships he won a 1934 gold in Greco-Roman and bronze in freestyle, winning another silver in 1935. After 1935, he no longer participated in international championships. During World War II Kurland fled to Sweden by boat with a group Danish-Jewish wrestlers in 1943, where they stayed with the families of Swedish wrestlers. In 1945 he returned to Denmark and worked there as a coach from 1948-62. In 1948, he tried a comeback and participated at London, but without success. At home Kurland won 12 Denmark championships from 1932-49, and participated in 13 different internationals.
Denmark