Bantamweight, Freestyle (≤56 kg), Men

No international freestyle events had been contested since the 1924 Olympics so it was difficult to choose a favorite. There were only eight entrants. But the silver medalist from Paris was back, and Kaarlo Mäkinen (FIN) won the gold medal without much difficulty, defeating American Robert Hewitt in the final round match. But in the second-place tournament Belgium’s Edmond Spapen won two matches for the silver medal. Canada’s Jim Trifunov defeated Britain’s Harold Sansum for the bronze medal. Sansum was placed fourth, despite wrestling three times and losing all three matches.