The men's freestyle light heavyweight competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin took place from 3 August to 4 August at the Deutschlandhalle. Nations were limited to one competitor.[1][2] This weight class was limited to wrestlers weighing up to 87kg.[3]
This freestyle wrestling competition continued to use the "bad points" elimination system introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics for Greco-Roman and at the 1932 Summer Olympics for freestyle wrestling, with a slight modification. Each round featured all wrestlers pairing off and wrestling one bout (with one wrestler having a bye if there were an odd number). The loser received 3 points if the loss was by fall or unanimous decision and 2 points if the decision was 2-1 (this was the modification from prior years, where all losses were 3 points). The winner received 1 point if the win was by decision and 0 points if the win was by fall. At the end of each round, any wrestler with at least 5 points was eliminated.[3]
Schedule
Date
Event
3 August 1936
Round 1
4 August 1936
Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5
Results
Round 1
Of the winners, two won by fall and advanced with 0 points while four won by decision and moved to the second round with 1 point. All six losers received 3 points for defeats by fall or unanimous decision.[4]
Clemons and Siebert were the best wrestlers through the first two rounds, each with 1 point for a win by decision and a win by fall. Fridell was also 2–0, but both wins were by decision and he had 2 points. Scarf finished the round at 2 points as well, with a 1–1 record (win by fall, loss by split decision). Six other wrestlers had a 1–1 record and finished the round with 3 or 4 points. Three had lost both the first two rounds and were eliminated.[4]
Clemons fell from first to fifth with a loss to Neo. Siebert picked up a second point but stayed in the lead along with Fridell. Dätwyler and Neo had 3 points apiece after the third round. The three losers other than Clemons were eliminated, as was Avcioglu, who withdrew.[4]
Dätwyler and Clemons were eliminated with losses, leaving three wrestlers in competition. Fridell and Siebert each stayed at 2 points, winning by fall and having a bye, respectively. Neo received his fourth point in the win by decision.[4]
Fridell had previously defeated Neo, but Siebert had not faced either other wrestler. Fridell received the bye in this round, with Neo and Siebert wrestling. Had Siebert earned fewer than 3 points in the round, another bout would have been contested with Fridell and Siebert facing off. However, Neo defeated Siebert by unanimous decision. This put both wrestlers at 5 points—Neo adding 1 point to his starting 4 and Siebert adding 3 to his 2. Neo earned silver based on the head-to-head result in this round breaking the tie. Fridell won the gold medal.
