Hans Schwerzmann

Hans Schwerzmann was a native and lifelong resident of Madretsch, Biel. Born in 1925, he grew up in a sports-oriented family alongside three siblings. He began boxing at a young age at a club in Biel where he was mentored by multiple local former top-level boxers including 1936 Olympian Walter Marti. He began his amateur career in 1943 and soon joined a club in Bern.

The winner of four Swiss titles in light heavyweight (1946, 1948–50), one of the highlights of Schwerzmann’s sporting career came in 1948 when he was selected to represent his country at the London Olympics. There, he competed in the light-heavyweight division and lost his lone bout to Ireland’s Hugh O’Hagan by decision. He later competed as a professional from 1950 until retiring in 1955. He then trained boxers at the Grenchen Boxing Club and was also a founder of a judo club in Biel. Married with two children, Schwerzmann was a mechanic by profession and continued to live in his hometown in his retirement.