Ivar Johansson

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameIvar Valentin•Johansson
Used nameIvar•Johansson
Born31 January 1903 in Norrköping, Östergötland (SWE)
Died4 August 1979 in Norrköping, Östergötland (SWE)
AffiliationsIK Björnen, Norrköping (SWE)
NOC Sweden
Medals OG
Gold 3
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 3

Biography

Ivar Johansson was one of Sweden’s greatest ever wrestlers. He also is likely the greatest wrestler ever to not have won a world championship. Johansson did, however, win three Olympic gold medals – a record he shares with Aleksandr Medved, Carl Westergren, and Aleksandr Karelin. Johansson is also one of three wrestlers to have won Olympic gold medals in both classes. Two of these came in 1932 when he won the freestyle middleweight class and the Greco-roman welterweight class. He added the 1936 Olympic title in middleweight Greco-roman. Johansson never competed at the World Championships. However, at the European Championships, he was nonpareil, winning nine titles between 1931 and 1939, six at Greco and three at freestyle.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1928 Summer Olympics Wrestling SWE Ivar Johansson
Middleweight, Greco-Roman, Men (Olympic) =9
1932 Summer Olympics Wrestling SWE Ivar Johansson
Welterweight, Greco-Roman, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
Middleweight, Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
1936 Summer Olympics Wrestling SWE Ivar Johansson
Middleweight, Greco-Roman, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold

Special Notes