View source for Kristjan Palusalu

{{Short description|Estonian wrestler (1908–1987)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor      = 
| name             = Kristjan Palusalu
| image            = Foto ja negatiiv, ESM F 416-4-B6256.jpg
| image_size       = 
| caption          = 
| fullname         = 
| nationality      = 
| residence        = 
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1908|03|10|df=yes}}
| birth_place      = Varemurru (now [[Matsi, Pärnu County]]), [[Estonia]] (then [[Russian Empire]]) 
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|1987|07|17|1908|03|10|df=yes}}
| death_place      = [[Tallinn]], Estonia
| height           = {{height|m=1.85|precision=0|abbr=on}}
| weight           = {{convert|110|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| country          = 
| sport            = [[Wrestling]]
| event            = [[Greco-Roman wrestling|Greco-Roman]]<br />[[Freestyle wrestling|Freestyle]]
| collegeteam      = 
| club             = Sport Tallinn
| team             = 
| turnedpro        = 
| coach            = Anton Ohaka
| medaltemplates   = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Greco-Roman wrestling]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{EST}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold|[[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin]]|[[Wrestling at the 1936 Summer Olympics|Heavyweight]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Wrestling Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|1937 Paris|Heavyweight}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[freestyle wrestling]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{EST}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold|[[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin]]|[[Wrestling at the 1936 Summer Olympics|Heavyweight]]}}
| show-medals      = yes
}}

'''Kristjan Palusalu''' (until 1935 '''Kristjan Trossmann''', {{osd|10 March|1908|26 February}} – 17 July 1987) was an [[Estonia]]n heavyweight [[wrestler]] and [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] winner. Palusalu became the first and only wrestler in Olympic history ever to win both the [[Greco-Roman wrestling|Greco-Roman]] and [[freestyle wrestling|freestyle]] heavyweight events.<ref>[https://www.olympic.org/kristjan-palusalu Kristjan PALUSALU - Olympic Wrestling Freestyle, Wrestling Greco-Roman | Estonia], olympic.org</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Eastern Europe: an introduction to the people, lands, and culture, Volume 1 |last=Frucht |first=Richard |year=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-800-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/easterneuropeint0000unse/page/97 97] |url=https://archive.org/details/easterneuropeint0000unse/page/97 }}</ref>

Palusalu was born in Varemurru village, [[Saulepi Parish]], [[Lääne County]] (now [[Matsi, Pärnu County|Matsi]] village, [[Lääneranna Parish]], [[Pärnu County]]) as one of eight children to Jüri and Liisu Trossmann. He is best remembered for winning two gold medals at the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in [[Berlin]]. He was given the honor of carrying the [[Flag of Estonia|Estonian flag]] to the [[Olympiastadion (Berlin)|Olympiastadion]]. The triumph was celebrated across Estonia with Palusalu and other Estonian athletes touring the country by rail giving speeches. A third of the inhabitants of [[Tallinn]] turned out to greet him and the Estonian government granted him a farm.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/ISOR/isor2008zzf.pdf |title=Every Nation Has Her Own Olympics: The Estonian Example |author=Daimar Lell, Kalle Voolaid |publisher=la84foundation.org |access-date=December 20, 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

After the [[Occupation of the Baltic States|Soviet Union occupied Estonia]] in 1940, Palusalu was sent to [[GULAG|hard labour]] in [[Kotlas]], [[Russia]] in 1941. He tried to escape with other prisoners but was captured after a few days. He was then sentenced to death together with his fellow fugitives but was given the chance to go to the front line to fight against Finland in the [[Continuation War]]. He deserted to the Finnish side in Northern [[Karelia]], northwest of [[Lake Onega]]. According to one Finnish soldier, Mr. Suuperko, Palusalu and his friends shouted "Finnish boys do not shoot Estonians", when they crossed the lines. Palusalu was soon recognized by a person in the Finnish army, who had sports background ([[Heikki Savolainen (gymnast)|Heikki Savolainen]]).<ref>Helsingin Sanomat newspaper 13 May 2007</ref>

He was imprisoned, but then was allowed to return to his homeland, which was then under [[Occupation of Estonia by Nazi Germany|German occupation]]. After the return of the Soviet army in 1945 he was arrested again, but was later allowed to work as a trainer and a referee, he also participated in some competitions in Estonia.<ref>[[:et:Kristjan Palusalu#Edaspidi]]</ref> He was not forgotten by the Estonian people. As one of the most popular sportsmen in Estonia throughout history, Kristjan Palusalu is one of the few who have become synonymous with the Estonian nation itself.<ref>{{cite book |title=A hundred great Estonians of the 20th century |last=Kändler |first=Tiit |author2=Küllike Lengi-Cooper  |year=2002 |publisher=Estonian Encyclopaedia Publishers |isbn= 978-9985-70-103-4 |page=97 }}</ref>

Palusalu was married to Ellen Saidla. The couple had a son, Jüri Palusalu.

==Legacy==

[[File:Kristjan Palusalu haud 20110906 by Ahsoous.jpg|thumb|left|Kristjan and Ellen Palusalu's graves at Tallinn's [[Metsakalmistu|Forest Cemetery]]]].

The international Kristjan Palusalu Memorial in Greco-Roman wrestling is held in Estonia from 1988.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* {{IWD}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com}}
* {{EOK profile|7799}}
* {{ESBL profile|Kristjan_Palusalu}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions freestyle wrestling heavyweight}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Greco-Roman wrestling heavyweight}}
{{European Champions Greco-Roman wrestling heavyweight}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palusalu, Kristjan}}
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1987 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Lääneranna Parish]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Pärnu County]]
[[Category:People from Kreis Wiek]]
[[Category:Estonian male sport wrestlers]]
[[Category:Olympic wrestlers for Estonia]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Estonia]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in wrestling]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:European Wrestling Championships medalists]]
[[Category:20th-century Estonian people]]
[[Category:Burials at Metsakalmistu]]
[[Category:European Wrestling Champions]]
[[Category:Estonian expatriates in Finland]]