Featherweight, Greco-Roman (≤60 kg), Men

Estonia’s Voldemar Väli was the 1926 and 1927 European Champion in this class and was favored. Sweden’s Erik Malmberg had won a bronze medal in this class at Paris and was back. Väli was dominant, wrestling six times, and winning five matches by falls, including in the final round when he faced Malmberg and put him on his back to win the gold medal. The bronze went to Italy’s Gerolamo Quaglia, who won his first three matches by falls, but then lost to Malmberg by fall in the penultimate round and was eliminated.

Väli had a long, renowned career in Greco-Roman wrestling. He had competed at the 1924 Olympics and would compete again in 1936, winning a bronze medal as a lightweight. He appeared at the Europeans through 1938, winning two titles and four medals at that championship. Malmberg likewise had a long stretch at the top levels of European wrestling. He had won bronze at the 1921 World Championships, was later 1929-30 European Champion, and would four European medals in his career. In 1932 he also moved up to the lightweights and won the gold medal at Los Angeles.