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

Date3 – 6 December 1956
StatusOlympic
LocationRoyal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Victoria
Participants10 from 10 countries
FormatElimination by bad points. Win by fall = 0 points; win by decision = 1 point; loss by 2-1 decision = 3 points; loss by 3-0 decision = 3 points; loss by fall = 3 points. Three judges gave decisions, thus all decisions were either 2-1 or 3-0. Five bad points eliminated a wrestler.

Soviet wrestler Valentin Nikolayev was the 1955 World Champion and would win the gold medal in this class but he did not overwhelm anybody, winning four matches by decision. In early rounds he defeated both Bulgaria’s Petko Sirakov and Sweden’s Karl-Erik Nilsson, who were the other finalists, which guaranteed Nikolayev the gold medal. Sirakov defeated Nilsson by unanimous decision in the final round to win the silver medal.

Nikolayev never wrestled internationally again but Sirakov won the 1957 World Championship in this class. Nilsson was competing in his third Olympics in light-heavyweight Greco-Roman, having won the 1948 gold medal and a bronze medal in 1952.

PosCompetitor(s)NOCREBad Points
1Valentin NikolayevURS––Gold
2Petko SirakovBUL––Silver
3Karl-Erik NilssonSWE––Bronze
4Bob SteckleCAN––
5Dale ThomasUSA––
6Eugen Wiesberger, Jr.AUT––
ACVeikko LahtiFINEliminated r3/56
ACAdil AtanTURWithdrew r3/53
ACVictor MuchaAUSEliminated r2/55
ACGyula KovácsHUNEliminated r2/55

Round One (3 December 1956 — -)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
1Dale ThomasUSA0
=2Bob SteckleCAN1
=2Karl-Erik NilssonSWE1
=2Adil AtanTUR1
=2Valentin NikolayevURS1
=6Victor MuchaAUS2
=6Gyula KovácsHUN2
=8Eugen Wiesberger, Jr.AUT3
=8Petko SirakovBUL3
=8Veikko LahtiFIN3

Match #1 Adil AtanTUR
decision (2-1)
Gyula KovácsHUN
Match #2 Valentin NikolayevURS
decision (3-0)
Petko SirakovBUL
Match #3 Dale ThomasUSA
fall (7:15)
Eugen Wiesberger, Jr.AUT
Match #4 Karl-Erik NilssonSWE
decision (3-0)
Veikko LahtiFIN
Match #5 Bob SteckleCAN
decision (2-1)
Victor MuchaAUS

Round Two (4 December 1956 — -)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
1Karl-Erik NilssonSWE1
2Valentin NikolayevURS2
=3Eugen Wiesberger, Jr.AUT3
=3Veikko LahtiFIN3
=3Adil AtanTUR3
=3Dale ThomasUSA3
=7Petko SirakovBUL4
=7Bob SteckleCAN4
=9Victor MuchaAUS5eliminated
=9Gyula KovácsHUN5eliminated

Match #1 Petko SirakovBUL
decision (2-1)
Adil AtanTUR
Match #2 Valentin NikolayevURS
decision (3-0)
Gyula KovácsHUN
Match #3 Veikko LahtiFIN
fall (2:45)
Dale ThomasUSA
Match #4 Eugen Wiesberger, Jr.AUT
fall (4:05)
Victor MuchaAUS
Match #5 Karl-Erik NilssonSWE
fall (4:48)
Bob SteckleCAN

Round Three (5 December 1956 — -)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
1Karl-Erik NilssonSWE2
2Valentin NikolayevURS3
=3Petko SirakovBUL4
=3Bob SteckleCAN4
=5Eugen Wiesberger, Jr.AUT6eliminated
=5Veikko LahtiFIN6eliminated
=5Dale ThomasUSA6eliminated

Match #1 Petko SirakovBUL
fall (7:20)
Dale ThomasUSA
Match #2 Valentin NikolayevURS
decision (3-0)
Veikko LahtiFIN
Match #3 Karl-Erik NilssonSWE
decision (3-0)
Eugen Wiesberger, Jr.AUT
Match #4 Bob SteckleCAN bye

Round Four (6 December 1956 — -)

PosCompetitor(s)NOCBad Points
=1Petko SirakovBUL4
=1Valentin NikolayevURS4
3Karl-Erik NilssonSWE5eliminated
4Bob SteckleCAN7eliminated

Match #1 Petko SirakovBUL
fall (11:53)
Bob SteckleCAN
Match #2 Valentin NikolayevURS
decision (3-0)
Karl-Erik NilssonSWE

Final Round (6 December 1956)

Match #1 Petko SirakovBUL
decision (3-0)
Karl-Erik NilssonSWE