Calistrat Cuțov

Calistrat Cuțov was one of the greatest boxers in Romania, winning nine national titles from 1968 to 1977. Cuțov boxed as both a lightweight and a light-welterweight during his career, which saw him fight at three Olympic Games and three European Championships. In 1968 he competed in the lightweight event at the Mexico City Olympics, winning bronze after losing to the eventual gold medallist Ronnie Harris. One year later Cuțov won gold at the European Amateur Boxing Championships in the lightweight in București, beating the Bulgarian fighter Stoyan Pilichev in the final.

By 1971 Cuțov had moved up to the light-welterweight class for the European Championships in Madrid where he won silver, after losing to Ulrich Beyer of East Germany. The following year he returned to the Olympics for the München Games but lost to Bantow Srisook of Thailand after the referee stopped the contest. His final Olympics came four years later in Montréal where he beat Jean-Claude Ruiz (FRA) and Syamsul Harahap (INA), before losing to Vladimir Kolev (BUL). In 1977 he won another medal at the European Championships with bronze in Halle, East Germany.

Sadly Cuțov died in relative obscurity in March 2025. He lived alone in his apartment near to his former boxing club Dinamo București where he had not been seen for some time. His neighbours notified the authorities who found his decomposing body, with him dying at least a week before his remains were discovered.