Karl Bruggmann

As well as being a talented wrestler and gymnast Karl Bruggmann worked as a butcher, police officer, and as the manager of a brewery depot. Bruggmann was the Swiss welterweight wrestling champion in 1956, won the Federal Wrestling Days on three occasions (1956, 1960, 1964), and was the ETV champion from 1956 to 1958.

At the 1960 Roma Olympics he competed in the welterweight class where he finished in equal ninth place with the German wrestler Martin Heinze. In the first round of the tournament Bruggmann beat Australia’s Robert Clark in 13 seconds in one of the fastest Olympic wrestling matches of all time.

In gymnastics Bruggmann won two cantonal national gymnastics titles in 1963 and 1964 as well as winning titles at federal gymnastics festivals.