Light-Heavyweight, Greco-Roman (≤87 kilograms), Men

Soviet Konstantin Koberidze had won the 1947 European Championship, but could not compete at London, as the Soviet Union did not appear in the Olympics until the 1952 Helsinki Games. Gyula Kovács of Hungary had been second to Koberidze at the 1947 Europeans (also finishing second as a heavyweight at the 1939 Europeans) and was the only medalist competing in Helsinki, but he was eliminated in round five after losing to Egyptian Ibrahim Orabi. Orabi then lost to Sweden’s Karl-Erik Nilsson in round six, which eliminated him. Nilsson then won a unanimous decision over Finland’s Kelpo Gröndahl to win the gold medal, with Gröndahl taking silver, and Orabi bronze.

Gröndahl would return in four years and win the gold medal at Helsinki. Nilsson also competed again at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics, winning a bronze medal in this class each time. Kovács finished fourth, as he would at Helsinki in 1952, but he did win a silver medal at the 1950 World Championships. Orabi had competed at the 1936 Olympics, placing fifth in the middleweight Greco-Roman event. Fifth place in London went to Britain’s Ken Richmond who became a famous strongman in England, but was best known as the strongman who struck the gong at the beginning of films produced by J. Arthur Rank.