Alfred Asikainen

Alfred Johan "Alpo" Asikainen (2 November 1888 – 7 January 1942) was a Finnish wrestler who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal.[1]

Alfred Asikainen
Asikainen (right, in black) and Klein wrestling at the 1912 Olympics
Personal information
Born(1888-11-02)2 November 1888
Viipuri, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire
Died7 January 1942(1942-01-07) (aged 53)
Mäntsälä, Uusimaa, Finland
WeightMiddleweight (67.5-75kg)
Medal record
Representing  Finland
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place1912 Stockholm Middleweight
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1911 Helsinki Middleweight

Sporting career

Asikainen won the Greco-Roman middleweight event at the 1911 World Wrestling Championships in Helsinki. It was the only time he finished within the podium at a World Wrestling Championship.[2]

At the 1912 Olympics Asikainen won against his first four opponents, including the eventual winner Claes Johanson. In the semifinal he wrestled Estonian Martin Klein,[3] who was forced to represent Russia,[4] for eleven hours and forty minutes (time limits were introduced to wrestling in 1924) on a blisteringly sunny day outdoors in the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. After one hour, a short rest was granted, and then every thirty minutes.[5]

Asikainen lost by pin, and Klein ended up withdrawing from the final due to exhaustion, resulting in Johansson winning the gold medal by default.[3] Asikainen was awarded the bronze medal.[4] The bout between Asikainen and Klein remains the longest wrestling match in history.[6]

References
General
  • "Alppo Asikainen". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
Specific
  1. "Alfred Asikainen". Olympedia. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  2. "Wrestling Database". Foeldeak Professional Sports Equipment. Archived from the original (Accessed via dropdown menu) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  3. Lamont, Tom (4 January 2009). "The 10: longest encounters". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  4. "Wrestling at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Middleweight A, Greco-Roman". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  5. Liew, Jonathan (10 August 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: baffled by the Greco-Roman wrestling grapple". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  6. Scrivener, Peter (28 July 2008). "Olympic countdown - 11 days - Great grappling". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
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