# Wrestling at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman bantamweight

The men's Greco-Roman bantamweight competition at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome took place from 26 to 31 August at the Basilica of Maxentius. Nations were limited to one competitor. Bantamweight was the second-lightest category, including wrestlers weighing 52 to 57 kilograms (114.6 to 125.7 lb).

## Competition format

This Greco-Roman wrestling competition continued to use the "bad points" elimination system introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics for Greco-Roman and at the 1932 Summer Olympics for freestyle wrestling, though adjusted the point values slightly. Wins by fall continued to be worth 0 points and wins by decision continued to be worth 1 point. Losses by fall, however, were now worth 4 points (up from 3). Losses by decision were worth 3 points (consistent with most prior years, though in some losses by split decision had been worth only 2 points). Ties were now allowed, worth 2 points for each wrestler. The elimination threshold was also increased from 5 points to 6 points. The medal round concept, used in 1952 and 1956 requiring a round-robin amongst the medalists even if one or more finished a round with enough points for elimination, was used only if exactly three wrestlers remained after a round—if two competitors remained, they faced off head-to-head; if only one, he was the gold medalist.

## Results
### Round 1

Cañete withdrew after his bout. Schlechter was injured and could not continue.

#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Ion Cernea | Romania | Fall | Michel Ben Akoun | Morocco |
| Imre Hódos | Hungary | Fall | Loek Alflen | Netherlands |
| Richard Debrunner | Switzerland | Tie | Reino Tuominen | Finland |
| Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan | Fall | Larry Lauchle | United States |
| Gilberto Gramellini | Italy | Decision | Bernard Knitter | Poland |
| Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | Decision | Kamel Ali El-Sayed | United Arab Republic |
| Gilbert Dubier | France | Decision | Ewald Tauer | United Team of Germany |
| Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | Fall | John Tveiten | Norway |
| Stipan Dora | Yugoslavia | Decision | Aimé Verhoeven | Belgium |
| Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | Decision | Ali Bani Hashemi | Iran |
| Franz Brunner | Austria | Decision | Mikhail Theodoropoulos | Greece |
| Edvin Vesterby | Sweden | Decision | Orlando Gonçalves | Portugal |
| Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria | Fall | François Schlechter | Luxembourg |
| Michel Nakouzi | Lebanon | Decision | Santiago Cañete | Spain |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Ion Cernea | Romania | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Imre Hódos | Hungary | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Franz Brunner | Austria | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Stipan Dora | Yugoslavia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Gilbert Dubier | France | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Gilberto Gramellini | Italy | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Michel Nakouzi | Lebanon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Edvin Vesterby | Sweden | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | Richard Debrunner | Switzerland | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 14 | Reino Tuominen | Finland | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | Kamel Ali El-Sayed | United Arab Republic | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | Ali Bani Hashemi | Iran | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | Orlando Gonçalves | Portugal | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | Bernard Knitter | Poland | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | Ewald Tauer | United Team of Germany | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | Mikhail Theodoropoulos | Greece | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | Aimé Verhoeven | Belgium | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 23 | Loek Alflen | Netherlands | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 23 | Michel Ben Akoun | Morocco | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 23 | Larry Lauchle | United States | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 23 | John Tveiten | Norway | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 27 | Santiago Cañete | Spain | 0 | 3 | 3* |
| 28 | François Schlechter | Luxembourg | 0 | 4 | 4* |

### Round 2
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Ion Cernea | Romania | Tie | Imre Hódos | Hungary |
| Loek Alflen | Netherlands | Fall | Michel Ben Akoun | Morocco |
| Gilberto Gramellini | Italy | Fall | Richard Debrunner | Switzerland |
| Bernard Knitter | Poland | Fall | Reino Tuominen | Finland |
| Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan | Decision | Kamel Ali El-Sayed | United Arab Republic |
| Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | Fall | Larry Lauchle | United States |
| Michel Nakouzi | Lebanon | Decision | Gilbert Dubier | France |
| Ewald Tauer | United Team of Germany | Decision | John Tveiten | Norway |
| Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | Fall | Aimé Verhoeven | Belgium |
| Stipan Dora | Yugoslavia | Decision | Ali Bani Hashemi | Iran |
| Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | Decision | Mikhail Theodoropoulos | Greece |
| Edvin Vesterby | Sweden | Decision | Franz Brunner | Austria |
| Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria | Decision | Orlando Gonçalves | Portugal |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Gilberto Gramellini | Italy | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Ion Cernea | Romania | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | Stipan Dora | Yugoslavia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Imre Hódos | Hungary | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | Michel Nakouzi | Lebanon | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Edvin Vesterby | Sweden | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | Bernard Knitter | Poland | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 13 | Loek Alflen | Netherlands | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 13 | Franz Brunner | Austria | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 13 | Gilbert Dubier | France | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 13 | Ewald Tauer | United Team of Germany | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 17 | Kamel Ali El-Sayed | United Arab Republic | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 17 | Ali Bani Hashemi | Iran | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 17 | Richard Debrunner | Switzerland | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 17 | Orlando Gonçalves | Portugal | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 17 | Mikhail Theodoropoulos | Greece | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 17 | Reino Tuominen | Finland | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 23 | John Tveiten | Norway | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 23 | Aimé Verhoeven | Belgium | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 25 | Michel Ben Akoun | Morocco | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 25 | Larry Lauchle | United States | 4 | 4 | 8 |

### Round 3
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Ion Cernea | Romania | Decision | Loek Alflen | Netherlands |
| Imre Hódos | Hungary | Tie | Gilberto Gramellini | Italy |
| Bernard Knitter | Poland | Tie | Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan |
| Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | Decision | Gilbert Dubier | France |
| Michel Nakouzi | Lebanon | Decision | Ewald Tauer | United Team of Germany |
| Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | Decision | Stipan Dora | Yugoslavia |
| Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | Decision | Franz Brunner | Austria |
| Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria | Decision | Edvin Vesterby | Sweden |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Ion Cernea | Romania | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Gilberto Gramellini | Italy | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Michel Nakouzi | Lebanon | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Imre Hódos | Hungary | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 10 | Stipan Dora | Yugoslavia | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 10 | Bernard Knitter | Poland | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 10 | Edvin Vesterby | Sweden | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 13 | Loek Alflen | Netherlands | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 13 | Franz Brunner | Austria | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 13 | Gilbert Dubier | France | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 13 | Ewald Tauer | United Team of Germany | 4 | 3 | 7 |

### Round 4

The Official Report shows Vesterby (correctly) at 5 points after round 3, following 2 wins by decision and a loss by decision. After round 4, however, Vesterby is shown at 4 points even though his win by fall should have kept him at 5. There is no explanation for a wrestler receiving a reduction in bad points.

#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Ion Cernea | Romania | Decision | Gilberto Gramellini | Italy |
| Bernard Knitter | Poland | Fall | Imre Hódos | Hungary |
| Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan | Decision | Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey |
| Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | Decision | Michel Nakouzi | Lebanon |
| Edvin Vesterby | Sweden | Fall | Stipan Dora | Yugoslavia |
| Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | Tie | Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Ion Cernea | Romania | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | Bernard Knitter | Poland | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 5 | Edvin Vesterby | Sweden | 5 | 0 | 4* |
| 5 | Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 9 | Gilberto Gramellini | Italy | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 9 | Michel Nakouzi | Lebanon | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 11 | Imre Hódos | Hungary | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 12 | Stipan Dora | Yugoslavia | 5 | 4 | 9 |

### Round 5

Vesterby's inexplicably reduced point total put him in a tie with Petrov for the bronze medal at 6 points. This tie was broken on head-to-head results; Petrov had defeated Vesterby in round 3. Vesterby would have finished in 4th place even were it not for the point reduction. Švec and Yılmaz were the ones ultimately affected by it, as they would have finished tied with Vesterby for 4th rather than tied only with each other for 5th.

#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Ion Cernea | Romania | Decision | Bernard Knitter | Poland |
| Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | Fall | Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan |
| Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | Tie | Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria |
| Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | Tie | Edvin Vesterby | Sweden |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Ion Cernea | Romania | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| | Dinko Petrov | Bulgaria | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 4 | Edvin Vesterby | Sweden | 4* | 2 | 6* |
| 5 | Jiří Švec | Czechoslovakia | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | Yaşar Yılmaz | Turkey | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 7 | Masamitsu Ichiguchi | Japan | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 7 | Bernard Knitter | Poland | 5 | 3 | 8 |

### Round 6
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | Decision | Ion Cernea | Romania |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| | Oleg Karavayev | Soviet Union | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| | Ion Cernea | Romania | 4 | 3 | 7 |