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Abraham Kurland

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Abraham Kurland
Personal information
Born(1912-06-10)10 June 1912
Odense, Syddanmark, Denmark
Died14 March 1999(1999-03-14) (aged 86)
Resting placeMosaisk Vestre Begravelsesplads
Sport
Country Denmark
Sportwrestling
Weight classlightweight
Event(s)Greco Roman, freestyle
ClubHakoah Jewish Sports Club, København/Bagsværd
Achievements and titles
National finals12x Danish champion
Medal record
Men's Greco-Roman wrestling
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1932 Los Angeles lightweight
European Wrestling Championships
Gold medal – first place 1934 Stockholm Greco Roman
Bronze medal – third place 1934 Stockholm freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1935 Brussels Greco Roman
Maccabiah Games
Gold medal – first place 1932 Palestine lightweight

Abraham Kurland (10 June 1912 – 14 March 1999) was a Danish Olympic silver medalist wrestler.[1] Kurland won 12 Denmark championships from 1932-49, won a silver medal in lightweight Greco Roman wrestling at the 1932 Olympics and a gold medal in lightweight at the 1932 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine, won a gold medal at the 1934 European Wrestling Championships in Greco-Roman and a bronze medal in freestyle, and won a silver medal at the 1935 European Wrestling Championships.[2][3]

Kurland was the favorite to win a gold medal at the 1936 Olympics. However, he declined to participate because it was taking place in Nazi Germany.

Biography

Kurland was Jewish, and was born in Odense, Syddanmark, Denmark.[1][4]

He was affiliated with the Hakoah Jewish Sports Club, København/Bagsværd.[4][5]

In 1928, at 16 years of age, Kurland became Hakoah's first Copenhagen bantamweight champion.[6]

Kurland won 12 Denmark championships from 1932-49.[2]

He won a silver medal in lightweight Greco Roman wrestling at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, at 20 years of age, after being narrowly defeated for the gold medal.[1][7]

At the 1932 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine, Kurland won a gold medal in the lightweight category.[8]

At the 1934 European Wrestling Championships Kurland won a gold medal in Greco-Roman, and a bronze medal in freestyle.[2] At the 1935 European Wrestling Championships he won a silver medal in Greco-Roman.[2][3]

Kurland was the favorite to win a gold medal at the 1936 Olympics.[5][7][9] However, he declined to participate because it was taking place in Nazi Germany.[1]

In 1943 during World War II, Kurland fled to Sweden on a fishing boat from Gilleleje to Hoganas with a group Danish-Jewish wrestlers, and they stayed with the families of Swedish wrestlers.[2][6]

In 1945 he returned to Denmark.[2] Kurland worked there as a coach from 1948-62.[2]

After the war, at the 1948 Olympics in London, Kurland competed in lightweight Greco Roman wrestling at 36 years of age, and came in ninth.[10][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Taylor, Paul (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics – With a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medalists. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN 9781903900888. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Abraham Kurland," olympics.com.
  3. ^ a b "International Wrestling Database". whatsmat-uww-org.
  4. ^ a b "Abraham Kurland Biography and Olympic Results". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Norman Berdichevsky. "The Golden Calf Idols of the World Cup, The Olympics, and What Happened in Berlin, 1936". New English Review. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  6. ^ a b "NOGET AF HAKOAHS HISTORISKE FORTID | Jif Hakoah". hakoah.dk.
  7. ^ a b Sidonie Smith (2000). The Olympics at the millennium: power, politics, and the games. ISBN 9780813528205. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  8. ^ "Maccabiah Games before World War II". sport-record.de.
  9. ^ Nina Skyhøj Olsen. "I ringen med Hitler". idraetshistorie.dk.
  10. ^ "Abraham Kurland - Olympic Facts and Results". olympiandatabase.com.
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