Anton Koolmann

Career

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

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

(→ 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 (United States of America)

Tournament to 2nd place - First round – lost to later Silver medalist Chester Newton United States (United States of America). (→ did not advance, 10 place)

After Olympics he didn"t return to home, but arrived, according to The Estonian Archives in Australia (European Association of Archaeologists), 16 February 1925 from Campbeltown to Adelaide, Australia on the four-masted Barque "Carthpool" (Sister ship of Lawhill). 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.

Late 30"s, 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.

Achievements

• First round – defeated French champion Georges Appruzeze France (FRA) by fall 13min 10s. Second round – lost to 1932 Summer Olympics champion Giovanni Gozzi Italy (Industry Training Authority) with points. Third round – lost to 1921 world champion and later Bronze medalist Väinö V. Ikonen Finland (FIN) with points. 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. He won Australian middleweight championstitle from Hughie Whitman.