You Are Here > SR/Olympics > Athletes > Kustaa Pihlajamäki

News: Sports-Reference.com Widgets - Our Stats, Your Site »post

Kustaa Pihlajamäki

Full name: Kustaa Kustaanpoika Pihlajamäki
Gender: Male
Height: 5'7" (169 cm)
Weight: 56-66 kg
Born: April 7, 1902 in Nurmo, Seinäjoki, Etelä-Pohjanmaa, Finland
Died: February 10, 1944 in Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Country: FIN Finland
Sport: Wrestling

Related Olympians: Brother of Hermanni Pihlajamäki.

Medals: 2 Gold, 1 Silver (3 Total)

Biography

Kustaa Pihlajämaki is considered Finland's greatest wrestler ever. He won three Olympic medals, including gold in 1924 bantamweight freestyle, and 1936 featherweight freestyle. He and Carl Westergren are the only two wrestlers to have won gold medals 12 years apart. Pihlajämaki won nine (9) European championships – seven in Greco-Roman (1930-31, 33-34, and 37-38) and two in freestyle (1931, 37). He never competed in the world championships. Pihlajämaki came from a family of great wrestlers. His brothers, Arvi and Paavo, won multiple Finnish championships, and Hermanni, his cousin, won two Olympic medals, including a gold in featherweight freestyle in 1932. A statue in his honor was erected in Helsinki.

Results

Games Age City Sport Event Team NOC Rank Medal
1924 Summer 22 Paris Wrestling Men's Bantamweight, Freestyle Finland FIN 1 Gold
1928 Summer 26 Amsterdam Wrestling Men's Featherweight, Freestyle Finland FIN 2 Silver
1932 Summer 30 Los Angeles Wrestling Men's Lightweight, Freestyle Finland FIN AC
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Men's Featherweight, Freestyle Finland FIN 1 Gold

Men's Bantamweight, Freestyle

Event History
Games Age City Sport Team NOC Phase Unit Rank Date Result
1924 Summer 22 Paris Wrestling Finland FIN Final Round Match 1/2 1 1924-07-14 Pihlajamäki (FIN) decision, Mäkinen (FIN)
1924 Summer 22 Paris Wrestling Finland FIN Semi-Finals Match #1 1 1924-07-13 Pihlajamäki (FIN) decision, Hines (USA)
1924 Summer 22 Paris Wrestling Finland FIN Quarter-Finals Match #1 1 1924-07-12 Pihlajamäki (FIN) decision, Darby (GBR)
1924 Summer 22 Paris Wrestling Finland FIN Round One Match #2 AC 1924-07-11 Pihlajamäki (FIN)

Men's Featherweight, Freestyle

Event History
Games Age City Sport Team NOC Phase Unit Rank Date Result BP MR
1928 Summer 26 Amsterdam Wrestling Finland FIN Semi-Finals Match #2 2 1928-07-31 Morrison (USA) , Pihlajamäki (FIN)
1928 Summer 26 Amsterdam Wrestling Finland FIN Quarter-Finals Match #4 1 1928-07-30 Pihlajamäki (FIN) , Rottenfluc (FRA)
1928 Summer 26 Amsterdam Wrestling Finland FIN Round One Match #7 AC 1928-07-30 Pihlajamäki (FIN)
1928 Summer 26 Amsterdam Wrestling Finland FIN 2nd-Place Tournament Match #2 1 1928-08-01 Pihlajamäki (FIN) , Minder (SUI)
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Final Standings 1 1936-08-02
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Final Round Match #2 AC 1936-08-04 Pihlajamäki (FIN)
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round Five 1 1936-08-04 1
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round Five Match #2 1 1936-08-04 Pihlajamäki (FIN) decision (3-0), Millard (USA) 1
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round Four 1 1936-08-04 0
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round Four Match #3 1 1936-08-04 Pihlajamäki (FIN) fall (3:41), Tóth (HUN) 0
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round Three 1 1936-08-04 0
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round Three Match #5 1 1936-08-04 Pihlajamäki (FIN) fall (2:40), Erkan (TUR) 0
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round Two 1T 1936-08-03 0
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round Two Match #7 1 1936-08-03 Pihlajamäki (FIN) fall (1:57), Spycher (SUI) 0
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round One 1T 1936-08-02 0
1936 Summer 34 Berlin Wrestling Finland FIN Round One Match #6 1 1936-08-02 Pihlajamäki (FIN) fall (4:40), Riské (BEL) 0

Men's Lightweight, Freestyle

Event History
Games Age City Sport Team NOC Phase Unit Rank Date Result RE BP MR
1932 Summer 30 Los Angeles Wrestling Finland FIN Final Standings AC 1932-08-01 Eliminated r3/5 5
1932 Summer 30 Los Angeles Wrestling Finland FIN Round Three 4T 1932-08-02 5
1932 Summer 30 Los Angeles Wrestling Finland FIN Round Three Match #1 1 1932-08-02 Pihlajamäki (FIN) decision, Klarén (SWE) 1
1932 Summer 30 Los Angeles Wrestling Finland FIN Round Two 4T 1932-08-01 4
1932 Summer 30 Los Angeles Wrestling Finland FIN Round Two Match #2 1 1932-08-01 Pihlajamäki (FIN) decision, Thomas (CAN) 1
1932 Summer 30 Los Angeles Wrestling Finland FIN Round One 5T 1932-08-01 3
1932 Summer 30 Los Angeles Wrestling Finland FIN Round One Match #2 2 1932-08-01 Clodfelter (USA) decision, Pihlajamäki (FIN) 3