Lightweight, Greco-Roman (≤67½ kg), Men

This event had been won in 1912 and 1920 by Finland’s Emil Väre, but he retired from international competition after the Antwerp Olympics. In 1920, Oskari Friman (FIN) had won the gold medal in featherweight Greco-Roman, and was 1921 World Champion as a lightweight. One challenger not competing in this class was the 1922 World Champion, Edvard Westerlund. By 1924, he was a middleweight and won the gold medal in Paris in that class. Without Westerlund or Väre, Friman had little trouble winning the gold medal, taking all his matches decisively, with a decision over Hungary’s Lajos Keresztes in the final round. Keresztes won silver but would return in 1928 to win the gold medal in this event at Amsterdam. The bronze medal in 1924 was won by Westerlund’s brother, Kalle Westerlund, who did not possess nearly the international credentials of Edvard. In 1928, Edvard Westerlund would again return to the lightweight class and win a bronze medal at Amsterdam, behind Keresztes.