Alfred Asikainen

Alfred Johan "Alpo" Asikainen (2 November 1888 – 7 January 1942) was a Finnish wrestler who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal.

Alfred Asikainen
Asikainen (right, in black) and Klein wrestling at the 1912 Olympics
Personal information
Born(1888-11-02)2 November 1888
Viipuri, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire
Died7 January 1942(1942-01-07) (aged 53)
Mäntsälä, Uusimaa, Finland
WeightMiddleweight (67.5-75kg)
Medal record
Representing  Finland
Olympic Games
1912 Stockholm Middleweight
FILA Wrestling World Championships
1911 Helsinki Middleweight

Sporting career

Asikainen won the Greco-Roman middleweight event at the 1911 World Wrestling Championships in Helsinki. It was the only time he finished within the podium at a World Wrestling Championship.[1]

At the 1912 Olympics Asikainen won against his first four opponents, including the eventual winner Claes Johanson. In the semifinal he wrestled Estonian Martin Klein,[2] who was forced to represent Russia,[3] for eleven hours and forty minutes (time limits were introduced to wrestling in 1924) on a blisteringly sunny day outdoors in the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. After one hour, a short rest was granted, and then every thirty minutes.[4]

Asikainen lost by pin, and Klein ended up withdrawing from the final due to exhaustion, resulting in Johansson winning the gold medal by default.[2] Asikainen was awarded the bronze medal.[3] The bout between Asikainen and Klein remains the longest wrestling match in history.[5]

References
General
  • "Alppo Asikainen". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
Specific
  1. "Wrestling Database". Foeldeak Professional Sports Equipment. Archived from the original (Accessed via dropdown menu) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  2. Lamont, Tom (4 January 2009). "The 10: longest encounters". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  3. "Wrestling at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Middleweight A, Greco-Roman". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  4. Liew, Jonathan (10 August 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: baffled by the Greco-Roman wrestling grapple". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  5. Scrivener, Peter (28 July 2008). "Olympic countdown - 11 days - Great grappling". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
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