Voldemar Väli, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Voldemar Väli

Olympic wrestler

Date of Birth: 10-Jan-1903

Place of Birth: Kuressaare, Saare County, Estonia

Date of Death: 13-Apr-1997

Profession: amateur wrestler

Nationality: Estonia

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Voldemar Väli (10 January 1903 – 13 April 1997) was an Estonian two-time Olympic medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling.Väli started training in wrestling at age 17, and four years later competed at the 1924 Olympics, but was eliminated in a preliminary bout.
In 1926 he won his first European title and established himself as a world top featherweight and later lightweight wrestler.
He missed the 1932 Olympics because Estonia did not send a team due to the Great Depression, and finished out of the podium at the 1933, 1934, 1937 and 1938 European Championships; however, he earned a bronze at the 1936 Olympics.
Domestically he won 19 titles between 1922 and 1942 in Greco-Roman and freestyle events.
During World War II in 1944 he emigrated with family to Sweden.
He ended his sporting career in 1945 after a match between the local Estonians and the team from Stockholm.
He beat the Swedish champion Einar Karlsson. Väli worked a crane operator at the Port of Tallinn.
In Sweden, he was a metal worker and later established a doll factory with his wife.