Wilfried Dietrich

Wilfried Dietrich (14 October 1933 – 2 June 1992) was a German heavyweight wrestler. Between 1956 and 1972 he took part in five Olympics and six world championships,^[2] often entering both the freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling contests – a feat unmatched by any other wrestler. He won five Olympic and five world championship medals, becoming an Olympic (1960), World (1961) and European champion (1967). Between 1955 and 1962 he won all his freestyle bouts.^[1][3]

Wilfried Dietrich

Taylor and Dietrich at the 1972 Olympics
Personal information
Born	14 October 1933[1] Schifferstadt, Germany[1]
Died	2 June 1992 (aged 58)[1] Durbanville, South Africa[1]
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight	118 kg (260 lb)
Sport
Sport	Greco-Roman wrestling Freestyle wrestling
Club	VfK Schifferstadt ASV Mainz 1888[1]
Medal record Representing  Germany Olympic Games 1960 Rome Freestyle +87 kg 1956 Melbourne Greco-Roman +87 kg 1960 Rome Greco-Roman +87 kg 1964 Tokyo Greco-Roman +97 kg Representing  West Germany Olympic Games 1968 Mexico City Freestyle +97 kg World Championships 1961 Yokohama Freestyle +87 kg 1957 Istanbul Freestyle +87 kg 1969 Mar del Plata Greco-Roman +100 kg 1962 Toledo Freestyle +97 kg 1962 Toledo Greco-Roman +97 kg European Championships 1967 Minsk Freestyle +97 kg

In 1968 Dietrich was selected as the Olympic flag bearer for West Germany at its first appearance at the Summer Olympics;^[4] he won a bronze medal at those games. He failed to medal at his last Olympics in 1972, yet he produced the most spectacular victory of his career by throwing over his back the 182 kg American Chris Taylor in the Greco-Roman contest.^[5] Dietrich lost to Taylor in their freestyle bout.^[1][6] In 2008 he was inducted into the Germany's Sports Hall of Fame and in 2014 to the International Wrestling Hall of Fame.^[1]