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| Event type

Middleweight, Freestyle (≤79 kilograms), Men

Date20 – 23 July 1952
StatusOlympic
LocationMessuhalli I, Helsinki / Messuhalli II, Helsinki
Participants17 from 17 countries
FormatWin by fall = 0 points; win by decision = 1 point; loss of any type = 3 points. Three judges gave decisions, thus all decisions were either 2-1 or 3-0. Five bad points eliminated a wrestler. When only three wrestlers remained, if they had not yet met one another, they wrestled further rounds. Medal placements were determined by the match record among the medalists, with bad points as a tie breaker. A wrestler in the medal rounds could continue with 5 or more bad points.

The Iranians were touting Gholam Reza Takhti and the Americans had Dan Hodge, considered one of the strongest wrestlers in the world. Hodge lost by fall in round two to Soviet Georgian David Tsimak’uridze and then by a split decision in round three, and was eliminated. Tsimak’uridze and Takhti both made the final round, joined by Hungarian György Gurics. Tsimak’uridze advanced despite losing his first round match to Sweden’s Bengt Lindblad. Lindblad lost his second round match to Gurics and then was eliminated after round three on bad points, despite defeating Hodge. Tsimak’uridze had defeatd Gurics in round five so when he defeated Takhti in the final round, the gold medal was his. Takhti then defeated Gurics for the silver medal.

Takhti would have a distinguished Olympic career, which began in Helsinki. In 1956 he won freestyle gold as a light-heavyweight, and he added another silver medal in 1960 in light-heavyweight freestyle. He also competed at the 1964 Olympics, just missing the podium in fourth. Takhti was considered Iran’s greatest sporting hero of the 20th century, but he was politically active against the Iranian government under the Shah of Iran. He died in January 1968, with his death ruled by the state as a suicide, but many rumors persist that he was murdered because of activities against the government.

PosCompetitor(s)NOCMMR/REBad Points
1Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS2-0Gold
2Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI1-1Silver
3György GuricsHUN0-2Bronze
4Gustav GockeGER
5Haydar ZaferTUR
=6Calie ReitzRSA
=6León GenuthARG
ACBengt LindbladSWEEliminated r3/74
ACDan HodgeUSAEliminated r3/75
ACFelix NeuhausSUIEliminated r3/76
ACAbduh HussainEGYEliminated r3/77
ACVeikko LahtiFINEliminated r2/75
ACAndré BrunaudFRAEliminated r2/76
ACAdalberto LepriITAEliminated r2/76
ACEduardo AssamMEXEliminated r2/76
ACPio ChirinosVENEliminated r2/76
ACAugustus EveraertsBELWithdrew r2/73

Round One (20 July 1952)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
=1György GuricsHUN0
=1Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI0
=1Calie ReitzRSA0
=1Felix NeuhausSUI0
=1Dan HodgeUSA0
=6León GenuthARG1
=6Gustav GockeGER1
=6Bengt LindbladSWE1
=6Haydar ZaferTUR1
=10Veikko LahtiFIN3
=10Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS3
=10Abduh HussainEGY3
=10André BrunaudFRA3
=10Adalberto LepriITA3
=10Eduardo AssamMEX3
=10Pio ChirinosVEN3
=10Augustus EveraertsBEL3withdrew

Match #1 Calie ReitzRSA
fall (1:11)
Pio ChirinosVEN
Match #2 Gustav GockeGER
decision (3-0)
Eduardo AssamMEX
Match #3 Haydar ZaferTUR
decision (3-0)
Adalberto LepriITA
Match #4 León GenuthARG
decision (2-1)
Veikko LahtiFIN
Match #5 Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI
fall (3:55)
André BrunaudFRA
Match #6 Dan HodgeUSA
fall (9:01)
Abduh HussainEGY
Match #7 Bengt LindbladSWE
decision (2-1)
Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS
Match #8 György GuricsHUN
fall (14:22)
Augustus EveraertsBEL
Match #9 Felix NeuhausSUI bye

Round Two (21 July 1952)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
1Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI0
=2León GenuthARG1
=2Gustav GockeGER1
=2György GuricsHUN1
=2Calie ReitzRSA1
=2Haydar ZaferTUR1
7Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS3
=8Felix NeuhausSUI3
=8Dan HodgeUSA3
=10Bengt LindbladSWE4
=10Abduh HussainEGY4
=12Veikko LahtiFIN6eliminated
=12André BrunaudFRA6eliminated
=12Adalberto LepriITA6eliminated
=12Eduardo AssamMEX6eliminated
=12Pio ChirinosVEN6eliminated

Match #1 Calie ReitzRSA
decision (3-0)
Felix NeuhausSUI
Match #2 Gustav GockeGER
fall (1:20)
Pio ChirinosVEN
Match #3 Haydar ZaferTUR
fall (5:45)
Eduardo AssamMEX
Match #4 León GenuthARG
fall (12:45)
Adalberto LepriITA
Match #5 Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI
fall (5:10)
Veikko LahtiFIN
Match #6 Abduh HussainEGY
decision (3-0)
André BrunaudFRA
Match #7 Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS
fall (5:58)
Dan HodgeUSA
Match #8 György GuricsHUN
decision (2-1)
Bengt LindbladSWE

Round Three (22 July 1952)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
1Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI0
2György GuricsHUN1
=3Gustav GockeGER2
=3Haydar ZaferTUR2
5Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS3
=6León GenuthARG4
=6Calie ReitzRSA4
8Bengt LindbladSWE5eliminated
=9Dan HodgeUSA6eliminated
=9Felix NeuhausSUI6eliminated
11Abduh HussainEGY7eliminated

Match #1 Gustav GockeGER
decision (3-0)
Felix NeuhausSUI
Match #2 Haydar ZaferTUR
decision (3-0)
Calie ReitzRSA
Match #3 Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI
fall (5:55)
León GenuthARG
Match #4 Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS
fall (4:55)
Abduh HussainEGY
Match #5 Bengt LindbladSWE
decision (2-1)
Dan HodgeUSA
Match #6 György GuricsHUN bye

Round Four (22 July 1952)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
1Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI1
2György GuricsHUN2
3Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS3
4Gustav GockeGER3
5Haydar ZaferTUR5eliminated
=6Calie ReitzRSA7eliminated
=6León GenuthARG7eliminated

Match #1 György GuricsHUN
decision (2-1)
Calie ReitzRSA
Match #2 Gustav GockeGER
decision (3-0)
León GenuthARG
Match #3 Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI
decision (3-0)
Haydar ZaferTUR
Match #4 Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS bye

Round Five (23 July 1952)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
1Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI2
2Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS4
3György GuricsHUN5
4Gustav GockeGER6eliminated

Match #1 Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS
decision (3-0)
György GuricsHUN
Match #2 Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI
decision (3-0)
Gustav GockeGER

Round Six (23 July 1952)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
=1Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI5
=1Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS5
=1György GuricsHUN5

Match #1 Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS
decision (2-1)
Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI
Match #2 György GuricsHUN bye

Final Round (23 July 1952)

Match #1 Gholam Reza TakhtiIRI György GuricsHUN
Match #2 Davit Tsimak'uridzeURS bye