Klaus-Jürgen ROST

Lightweight wrestler Klaus Rost started his international career with a bronze medal at the 1963 Helsingborg Worlds in Greco-Roman. In 1969 at Mar del Plata he finished fourth, also in Greco-Roman, going undefeated. At the 1967 Europeans he placed fifth in freestyle.

Rost’s greatest moment came in winning a freestyle silver at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as a member of the mixed German team. He was then awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, the highest sports award in Germany. In 1968 at Mexico City, then representing West Germany, he finished fourth in Greco-Roman, and eighth in freestyle, competing in 11 matches in only two days. At München in 1972 he was eliminated in the third round of freestyle. Domestically Rost won 15 West German national titles in both styles.

After his active career the trained printer served as a youth coach with his home club KSV Witten 07. Rost also became a pigeon breeder, entering several regional and national pigeon races.