| | Event type

Featherweight, Greco-Roman (≤62 kilograms), Men

Date	24 – 27 July 1952
Status	Olympic
Location	Messuhalli I, Helsinki
Participants	17 from 17 countries
Format	Win by fall = 0 points; win by decision = 1 point; loss of any type = 3 points. Three judges gave decisions, thus all decisions were either 2-1 or 3-0. Five bad points eliminated a wrestler. When only three wrestlers remained, if they had not yet met one another, they wrestled further rounds. Medal placements were determined by the match record among the medalists, with bad points as a tie breaker. A wrestler in the medal rounds could continue with 5 or more bad points.

Olle Anderberg of Sweden had won the silver medal in this class at London and was the 1950 World Champion, but he elected to compete in Helsinki in freestyle, winning the lightweight gold medal in that event. He would again win this class at the 1953 World Championships, and without him the 1952 featherweight tournament was wide-open. The medalist round came down to Soviet Yakiv Punkin, Hungary’s Imre Polyák, and Egyptian Abdel Aal Rashid. Punkin made quick work of his opponents to win the gold medal with victories over both by falls. Polyák had already defeated Rashid by split decision in round four, which brought him the silver medal. This event was a few years too early for Polyák who would go on to win the World title in 1955, 1958, and 1962. For Punkin and Rashid, this was their only podium appearance at a major international event.

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	MMR/RE	Bad Points
1	Yakov Punkin	URS	2-0	–	Gold
2	Imre Polyák	HUN	1-1	–	Silver
3	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	0-2	–	Bronze
4	Umberto Trippa	ITA	–	–
5	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	–	–
6	Hasan Bozbey	TUR	–	–
AC	Safi Taha	LBN	Withdrew r4/6	3
AC	Erkki Talosela	FIN	Eliminated r3/6	5
AC	Ernest Gondzik	POL	Eliminated r3/6	5
AC	Rolf Ellerbrock	GER	Eliminated r3/6	7
AC	Gunnar Håkansson	SWE	Eliminated r3/6	7
AC	Bela Torma	YUG	Withdrew r3/6	4
AC	Dagfin Huseby	NOR	Eliminated r2/6	5
AC	Francisc Horvath	ROU	Eliminated r2/6	5
AC	Lucien Claes	BEL	Eliminated r2/6	6
AC	Antoine Merle	FRA	Eliminated r2/6	6
AC	Marco Antonio Girón	GUA	Eliminated r2/6	6

Round One (24 July 1952)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
=1	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	0
=1	Imre Polyák	HUN	0
=1	Safi Taha	LBN	0
=1	Yakov Punkin	URS	0
=5	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	1
=5	Erkki Talosela	FIN	1
=5	Umberto Trippa	ITA	1
=5	Ernest Gondzik	POL	1
=5	Gunnar Håkansson	SWE	1
=10	Dagfin Huseby	NOR	3
=10	Bela Torma	YUG	3
=10	Lucien Claes	BEL	3
=10	Antoine Merle	FRA	3
=10	Rolf Ellerbrock	GER	3
=10	Marco Antonio Girón	GUA	3
=10	Francisc Horvath	ROU	3
=10	Hasan Bozbey	TUR	3

Match #1	Imre Polyák	HUN	fall (2:31)	Marco Antonio Girón	GUA
Match #2	Gunnar Håkansson	SWE	decision (3-0)	Francisc Horvath	ROU
Match #3	Ernest Gondzik	POL	decision (2-1)	Bela Torma	YUG
Match #4	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	decision (3-0)	Lucien Claes	BEL
Match #5	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	fall (8:30)	Rolf Ellerbrock	GER
Match #6	Umberto Trippa	ITA	decision (2-1)	Dagfin Huseby	NOR
Match #7	Erkki Talosela	FIN	decision (3-0)	Hasan Bozbey	TUR
Match #8	Yakov Punkin	URS	fall (11:17)	Antoine Merle	FRA
Match #9	Safi Taha	LBN	bye

Round Two (25 July 1952)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
=1	Safi Taha	LBN	0
=1	Yakov Punkin	URS	0
=3	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	1
=3	Imre Polyák	HUN	1
=5	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	2
=5	Erkki Talosela	FIN	2
=5	Ernest Gondzik	POL	2
=6	Umberto Trippa	ITA	4
=6	Rolf Ellerbrock	GER	4
=6	Gunnar Håkansson	SWE	4
=6	Hasan Bozbey	TUR	4
=10	Bela Torma	YUG	6	eliminated
=10	Dagfin Huseby	NOR	6	eliminated
=10	Francisc Horvath	ROU	6	eliminated
=10	Lucien Claes	BEL	6	eliminated
=10	Antoine Merle	FRA	6	eliminated
=10	Marco Antonio Girón	GUA	6	eliminated

Match #1	Safi Taha	LBN	fall (2:35)	Marco Antonio Girón	GUA
Match #2	Imre Polyák	HUN	decision (3-0)	Gunnar Håkansson	SWE
Match #3	Ernest Gondzik	POL	decision (2-1)	Francisc Horvath	ROU
Match #4	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	decision (2-1)	Bela Torma	YUG
Match #5	Rolf Ellerbrock	GER	decision (3-0)	Lucien Claes	BEL
Match #6	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	decision (2-1)	Umberto Trippa	ITA
Match #7	Erkki Talosela	FIN	decision (3-0)	Dagfin Huseby	NOR
Match #8	Hasan Bozbey	TUR	decision (3-0)	Antoine Merle	FRA
Match #9	Yakov Punkin	URS	bye

Round Three (26 July 1952)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
1	Yakov Punkin	URS	1
=2	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	2
=2	Imre Polyák	HUN	2
=4	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	3
=4	Safi Taha	LBN	3	withdrew
=6	Umberto Trippa	ITA	4
=6	Hasan Bozbey	TUR	4
=8	Erkki Talosela	FIN	5	eliminated
=8	Ernest Gondzik	POL	5	eliminated
=10	Rolf Ellerbrock	GER	7	eliminated
=10	Gunnar Håkansson	SWE	7	eliminated

Match #1	Yakov Punkin	URS	decision (3-0)	Safi Taha	LBN
Match #2	Imre Polyák	HUN	decision (3-0)	Ernest Gondzik	POL
Match #3	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	decision (3-0)	Gunnar Håkansson	SWE
Match #4	Umberto Trippa	ITA	fall (2:14)	Rolf Ellerbrock	GER
Match #5	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	decision (3-0)	Erkki Talosela	FIN
Match #6	Hasan Bozbey	TUR	bye

Round Four (27 July 1952)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
1	Yakov Punkin	URS	2
2	Imre Polyák	HUN	3
3	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	5
4	Umberto Trippa	ITA	5	eliminated
5	Bartl Brötzner	AUT	6	eliminated
6	Hasan Bozbey	TUR	7	eliminated

Match #1	Yakov Punkin	URS	decision (3-0)	Hasan Bozbey	TUR
Match #2	Imre Polyák	HUN	decision (2-1)	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY
Match #3	Umberto Trippa	ITA	decision (3-0)	Bartl Brötzner	AUT

Round Five (27 July 1952)

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Bad Points
1	Yakov Punkin	URS	2
2	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	5
3	Imre Polyák	HUN	6	eliminated

Match #1	Yakov Punkin	URS	fall (1:26)	Imre Polyák	HUN
Match #2	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY	bye

Final Round (27 July 1952)

Match #1	Yakov Punkin	URS	fall (3:28)	Abdel Aal Rashid	EGY
Match #2	Imre Polyák	HUN	bye