Josef STRASSBERGER

Josef Straßberger won two Olympic medals, a gold in 1928 in Amsterdam and bronze in 1932 in Los Angeles, both as a heavyweight, and was also World Champion in 1920. He set 10 world records in light-heavyweight and super-heavyweight from 1919-35 – six in the press, two in the snatch, and two in the total. He was European champion in 1921 and 1929. From 1920-34 Straßberger dominated the heavyweight division in Germany, winning 13 national titles.

Since he had lost the distal tips of the index and middle fingers of his right hand in an accident, Straßberger had difficulty getting a tight grip on the barbell to master the heavy loads of the clean & jerk. Therefore, he always had to compensate for his modest performances in that lift by better performances in his strongest discipline, the military press. In 1929, he took over the clubhouse of the TSV 1860 München as an innkeeper, but it was totally bombed out in 1945. After World War II, he led the Sports School Grünwald near Munich. At the 1972 Olympic Village in München, one of the streets was named in his honor.