János Varga

János Varga started his sports career in 1955 as a wrestler with Abonyi Tsz. By 1958, he was already a four-time youth champion and won a silver medal among the seniors. In 1959, he was selected for the national team, while serving as a professional soldier, and he switched to Budapesti Honvéd.

At the beginning, Varga competed in both disciplines, winning nine Hungarian championships in Greco-Roman and five in freestyle, but he achieved his most significant results in Greco-Roman, as a bantamweight. At the 1963 World Championships in Helsinborg, he won his first world title by competing in the last minutes of the final with a broken rib. He won another gold (1970), two silvers (1961, 1967) and two bronze medals (1962, 1971) at the World Championships. He won two gold medals (1967, 1970) and one silver medal (1968) at the European Championships.

Varga participated in three Olympics. Due to injuries, he was unable to prepare properly for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and was eliminated in the fourth round, but at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, he won gold. At the age of 33, he also competed at the 1972 München Olympics, where he finished fourth, after which he retired from active sports in 1973.

After his retirement, Varga coached Budapesti Honvéd until 1990, and the Hungarian junior national team between 1978 and 1993. Among his students, József Faragó and non-Olympian Árpád Sípos became European champions. From 1981, he also acted as an international judge. He was a member of the Hungarian Olympic Committee and the MOB’s tradition preservation committee.

In 1985, Varga received the title of Master Trainer. In 2016 he was elected to the Wrestling Hall of Fame, and he received the title of Honorable Citizen from his hometown. His daughter, [Gabriella Varga]/athlete/105993), was a two-time European champion fencer and finished fourth in the team foil at the 2008 Olympics.

János Varga had the following finishes at major championships – 1963 World Championship: 57.0 kg. Greco-Roman (1st); 1970 World Championship: 57.0 kg. Greco-Roman (1st); 1961 World Championship: 57.0 kg. Freestyle (2nd); 1962 World Championship: 57.0 kg. Freestyle (3rd); 1971 World Championship: 57.0 kg. Greco-Roman (3rd); 1962 World Championship: 57.0 kg. Greco-Roman (6th); 1967 European Championship: 57.0 kg. Greco-Roman (1st); 1970 European Championship: 57.0 kg. Greco-Roman (1st); 1968 European Championship: 57.0 kg. Greco-Roman (2nd); 1969 European Championship: 48.0 kg. Freestyle (6th).