Edvin Fältström

Edvin Fältström, a master craftsman, was born in 1890 in Landskrona where he wrestled for BK Argos. He began his sport as a 12-year-old boy. In 1913 and 1914, he won the Swedish Championship in middleweight A. In 1913 he came 2nd in the unofficial World Championships. In the following year, he won his class at the Baltic Games, and in 1916 at the Swedish Games, he defeated all five competitors in the class by fall in a total of 7 1/2 minutes, including future double gold medalist Carl Westergren. As Fältström’s best years fell into the period of World War I, he did not succeed in winning a major international title.

At the 1912 Olympics, Fältström participated in the middleweight A (75 kg) division and was eliminated in round 5 after suffering his second defeat against August Jokinen from Finland by decision. He retired in 1918 but was persuaded to return for the Antwerp Olympics in 1920. There, he lost in the quarterfinals to the future bronze medalist Matti Perttilä. He was a strong and agile wrestler with extremely aggressive tactics and was as skilled in standing wrestling as in parterre work.