Kristjan Palusalu
Estonian wrestler (1908–1987)
克里斯蒂安·帕卢萨卢 · クリスチャン・パルサル · 크리스티안 팔루살루
- Born
- 10 March 1908, Saulepi Rural Municipality
- Died
- 17 July 1987, Tallinn
- Citizenship
- Estonia, Soviet Union
- Sport
- amateur wrestling
- Occupation
- amateur wrestler, military personnel, civil servant, athlete
- Height
- 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
- Weight
- 110 kg (243 lb)
Kristjan Palusalu (until 1935 Kristjan Trossmann, 10 March [O.S. 26 February] 1908 – 17 July 1987) was an Estonian heavyweight wrestler and Olympic winner. Palusalu became the first and only wrestler in Olympic history ever to win both the Greco-Roman and freestyle heavyweight events.
Palusalu was born in Varemurru village, Saulepi Parish, Lääne County (now Matsi village, Lääneranna Parish, Pärnu County) as one of eight children to Jüri and Liisu Trossmann. He is best remembered for winning two gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He was given the honor of carrying the Estonian flag to the Olympiastadion. The triumph was celebrated across Estonia with Palusalu and other Estonian athletes touring the country by rail giving speeches. A third of the inhabitants of Tallinn turned out to greet him and the Estonian government granted him a farm.
Competitions
| Competition | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1936 Summer Olympics | 1936 |
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q1789405 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.