Anton Koolmann

Estonia sport wrestler (1899 – 1953)

Anton Koolmann

Personal information

Born| (1899-09-11)11 September 1899
Kasispea, Estonia
Died| 29 June 1953(1953-06-29) (aged 53)
Wellington, New Zealand

Medal record

Men's Wrestling
National Championships
| 1924 Tallinn | Greco-Roman wrestling -57kg

Koolmann

Anton Koolmann (11 September 1899 – 29 June 1953) was a wrestler and coach from Kuusalu Parish, Estonia who took part at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[1]

## Career

[edit]

1924 after winning Estonian Greco-Roman wrestling championships he participated at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France:[2]

Men's Greco-Roman bantamweight (-58 kg)

* First round– defeated French champion Georges Appruzeze France (FRA) by fall 13min 10s.
* Second round– lost to 1932 Summer Olympics champion Giovanni Gozzi Italy (ITA) with points.
* Third round– lost to 1921 world champion and later  Bronze medalist Väinö V. Ikonen Finland (FIN) with points. (→ did not advance, 13.-16. place)

Men's freestyle featherweight (-61 kg)

* 1/8 Final round– lost to later  Gold medalist Robin Reed United States (USA)
* Tournament to 2nd place – First round– lost to later  Silver medalist Chester Newton United States (USA). (→ did not advance, 10\. place)

After Olympics he didn't return to home, but arrived, according to The Estonian Archives in Australia (EAA), 16 February 1925 from Campbeltown to Adelaide, Australia on the four-masted Barque "Carthpool" (Sister ship of Lawhill).

In Australia within the first fortnight of his career as a professional wrestler Koolmann won in seven successive championship matches, two state championships, three Victorian and two Australasian amateur championships.[3] He won Australian middleweight championstitle from Hughie Whitman.[4]

15 October 1928 he moved to New Zealand and got citizenship in 1933.

1934 he wrestled against former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gus "The Goat" Sonnenberg.

In the late 1930s, he trained many New Zealand wrestling champions in his Koolman's Gym in Wellington. Among them Ernie "Kiwi" Kingston and from 1951 Maori professional heavyweight wrestler Keita Meretana of Wairoa.

He died suddenly in his home at age 53 in Wellington, New Zealand.

## Sport achievements

[edit]

Year  | Tournament  | Venue  | Result  | Event

|
|
|
|

1924  | Estonian National Championships  | Tallinn, Estonia | 1st  | Greco-Roman wrestling / -57 kg
1924  | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 10th  | Men's freestyle featherweight -61 kg
1924  | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 13-16th  | Men's Greco-Roman bantamweight -58 kg

## References

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* Kuningas, Tiit; Tiit Lääne (2005). Olümpiamängude ajalugu II, suvemängud 1920-1944 (en: History of the Olympic Games II Summer Games 1920-1944) (in Estonian). Tallinn: Maalehe Raamat. ISBN 9985-64-255-4.
* A little piece of San Francisco in Wellington! – former Koolman's Wrestling Gym in 171 Cuba Street, Wellington

1. ^ "Anton Koolmann Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
2. ^ "Anton Koolmann". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
3. ^ WORLD'S RECORD ESTABLISHED. Seven Successive Championships. ...conceded by the visiting American wrestlers to be unique in wrestling history., The Argus, Monday 14 June 1926 p. 6
4. ^ The Argus., Saturday 26 June 1926 p. 20

## External links

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* Koolman's Correct Wrestling – Plates 45-48, series reprinted from an early wrestling book
* Koolman's Correct Wrestling – Plates 57 and 58
* Four-masted barque "Carthpool"
* Anton Koolmann`s descendants
* Family business
* Anton Koolmann at Olympedia
* Anton Koolmann at Olympics.com
* Anton Koolmann at ESBL (in Estonian)

*[ESBL]: Eesti Spordi Biograafiline Leksikon [Biographical Lexicon of Estonian Sports]