The German wrestling sport mourns the death of Klaus Rost. The former Olympic silver medallist died late on Thursday evening in a retirement home.
The German wrestling sport mourns the death of Klaus Rost. The former Olympic silver medallist died late on Thursday evening in a retirement home, SID learned on Friday from the deceased’s entourage. The former Witten champion wrestler was 83 years old.
Rost was one of the world’s elite lightweights in the 1960s and 70s. He won the silver medal in freestyle at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, came fourth at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico and won bronze at the 1963 World Championships in Greco-Roman style.
Rost, like many wrestlers at that time, fought in both styles, stood on the mat in them for Germany in 30 international matches, won 16 German individual championships and two team titles. In his time, the bout lasted twelve minutes, today it is six.
Rost was honoured with the highest German sports award, the Silver Laurel Leaf. After his active career, he rendered outstanding services to the youth work as an honorary member of the KSV Witten, even led the youth to the German team title and passionately cultivated his hobby, the breeding of carrier pigeons.
With it, he once said, “I earned more money than with wrestling” – for which Klaus Rost will remain a German legend.
