Ivar Johansson (wrestler)

For those of a similar name, see Ivar Johansen (disambiguation).

for the politician see Ivar Johansson (politician)

Ivar Johansson

Personal information
Born	31 January 1903 Norrköping, Sweden
Died	4 August 1979 (aged 76) Norrköping, Sweden
Sport
Sport	Wrestling
Club	IK Björnen, Norrköping
Medal record Representing Sweden Olympic Games Greco-Roman wrestling 1932 Los Angeles welterweight 1936 Berlin middleweight Freestyle wrestling 1932 Los Angeles middleweight

Ivar Valentin Johansson (31 January 1903 – 4 August 1979) was a Swedish wrestler who competed at the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1932 he won the gold medal in the Greco-Roman welterweight and freestyle middleweight events. Four years later he won the gold medal in the Greco-Roman middleweight competition.

At the 1932 Olympics Johansson first competed as a freestyle middleweight. Despite being a favorite, he lost his first bout to Kyösti Luukko. Yet he won his all other bouts by fall, while Luukko lost in the semifinals and finished second. Two days later he was scheduled to compete as a Greco-Roman welterweight. For this purpose he shed five kilograms of bodyweight by fasting and sweating in a sauna, yet relatively easily won all four bouts.

Johansson never competed at the world championships. At the European championships he won nine titles in 1931–1939, six in Greco-Roman and three int freestyle wrestling.

Johansson grew up in a rural area near Norrköping, where he built his strength by manual labor at a farm. He then moved to Norrköping city to work as a police officer and then as a wrestling coach. The annual wrestling award "Ivars Guldsko" was established in Sweden in his honor after his death.