Pelle Svensson

Per Oskar "Pelle" Svensson (6 February 1943 – 17 December 2020) was a Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler and lawyer. His achievements included a silver medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the light heavyweight class and two gold medals at the World Championships in 1970 and 1971.

Early life Svensson was born on 6 February 1943 in Sollefteå, Sweden, the son of homeowner Henry Svensson and Lydia Svensson.

Career

Wrestling career Svensson, who started his career in wrestling in 1955, competed for the clubs Sundsvalls AIK and Heby BK. He won the Swedish Championships for the first time in 1962, competing in the 100 kg class. He won the Swedish Championships for thirteen consecutive years until his retirement in 1974. He competed at the World Championships for the first time in 1963, ending up fourth. At the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, Svensson won a silver medal in the light heavyweight class. He also won two gold medals at the European Championships in 1969 and 1970 and two gold medals at the World Championships in 1970 and 1971, as well as three bronze medals at the European Championships in 1966, 1967, and 1968. As a wrestler he was nicknamed Pelle Swing in Sweden.

Legal career Following his career in wrestling, Svensson pursued a career as a lawyer. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Uppsala University in 1970 and a Candidate of Law degree in 1973. He was employed at Lindstedts law firm in Sundsvall in 1977 and had his own law firm from 1989. He became a member of the Swedish Bar Association in 1980. He was 77.

Wrestling achievements Year Event Venue Place Weight class (kg) 1963 FILA World Championships Helsingborg, Sweden 4th 97.0 1964 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 2nd 97.0 1965 FILA World Championships Tampere, Finland 4th 97.0 1966 European Championships Essen, Germany 3rd 97.0 1966 FILA World Championships Toledo, United States 5th 97.0 1967 European Championships Minsk, Soviet Union 3rd 97.0 1968 European Championships Västerås, Sweden 3rd 97.0 1968 Olympic Games Mexico City, Mexico 4th 97.0 1969 European Championships Modena, Italy 1st 100.0 1970 European Championships Berlin, Germany 1st 100.0 1970 FILA World Championships Edmonton, Canada 1st 100.0 1971 FILA World Championships Sofia, Bulgaria 1st 100.0