# Wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman lightweight

The men's Greco-Roman lightweight competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki took place from 24 July to 27 July at Messuhalli. Nations were limited to one competitor. Lightweight was the fourth-lightest category, including wrestlers weighing 62 to 67 kilograms (136.7 to 147.7 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, removing the slight modification introduced in 1936 and used until 1948 (which had a reduced penalty for a loss by 2–1 decision). Each round featured all wrestlers pairing off and wrestling one bout (with one wrestler having a bye if there were an odd number). The loser received 3 points. The winner received 1 point if the win was by decision and 0 points if the win was by fall. At the end of each round, any wrestler with at least 5 points was eliminated. This elimination continued until the medal rounds, which began when 3 wrestlers remained. These 3 wrestlers each faced each other in a round-robin medal round (with earlier results counting, if any had wrestled another before); record within the medal round determined medals, with bad points breaking ties.

## Results
### Round 1

Akbulut withdrew after his bout.

#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Jan Cools | Belgium | Decision, 3–0 | Metty Scheitler | Luxembourg |
| Kamal Hussain | Egypt | Decision, 3–0 | Erich Schmidt | Saar |
| Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | Decision, 3–0 | Georgios Petmezas | Greece |
| André Verdaine | France | Decision, 3–0 | Zbigniew Szajewski | Poland |
| Franco Benedetti | Italy | Fall | Arístides Pérez | Guatemala |
| Dumitru Cuc | Romania | Fall | Aage Eriksen | Norway |
| Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | Decision, 3–0 | Raif Akbulut | Turkey |
| Gustav Freij | Sweden | Fall | Jack Rasmussen | Denmark |
| Kalle Haapasalmi | Finland | Decision, 3–0 | Heini Nettesheim | Germany |
| Gyula Tarr | Hungary | Bye | N/A | N/A |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Franco Benedetti | Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Dumitru Cuc | Romania | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Gustav Freij | Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Gyula Tarr | Hungary | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Jan Cools | Belgium | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Kalle Haapasalmi | Finland | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Kamal Hussain | Egypt | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | André Verdaine | France | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Aage Eriksen | Norway | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Heini Nettesheim | Germany | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Arístides Pérez | Guatemala | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Georgios Petmezas | Greece | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Jack Rasmussen | Denmark | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Metty Scheitler | Luxembourg | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Erich Schmidt | Saar | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Zbigniew Szajewski | Poland | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 19 | Raif Akbulut | Turkey | 0 | 3 | 3* |

### Round 2
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Gyula Tarr | Hungary | Decision, 3–0 | Jan Cools | Belgium |
| Kamal Hussain | Egypt | Decision, 3–0 | Metty Scheitler | Luxembourg |
| Erich Schmidt | Saar | Decision, 2–1 | Georgios Petmezas | Greece |
| Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | Decision, 2–1 | André Verdaine | France |
| Zbigniew Szajewski | Poland | Fall | Arístides Pérez | Guatemala |
| Dumitru Cuc | Romania | Decision, 3–0 | Franco Benedetti | Italy |
| Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | Fall | Aage Eriksen | Norway |
| Gustav Freij | Sweden | Decision, 3–0 | Kalle Haapasalmi | Finland |
| Jack Rasmussen | Denmark | Fall | Heini Nettesheim | Germany |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Dumitru Cuc | Romania | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | Gustav Freij | Sweden | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Gyula Tarr | Hungary | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Kamal Hussain | Egypt | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Franco Benedetti | Italy | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 7 | Jack Rasmussen | Denmark | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Zbigniew Szajewski | Poland | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Jan Cools | Belgium | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 10 | Kalle Haapasalmi | Finland | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 10 | Erich Schmidt | Saar | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | André Verdaine | France | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 14 | Aage Eriksen | Norway | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 14 | Heini Nettesheim | Germany | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 14 | Arístides Pérez | Guatemala | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 14 | Georgios Petmezas | Greece | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 14 | Metty Scheitler | Luxembourg | 3 | 3 | 6 |

### Round 3
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Gyula Tarr | Hungary | Decision, 3–0 | Kamal Hussain | Egypt |
| Erich Schmidt | Saar | Decision, 3–0 | Jan Cools | Belgium |
| Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | Walkover | Zbigniew Szajewski | Poland |
| Franco Benedetti | Italy | Decision, 2–1 | André Verdaine | France |
| Gustav Freij | Sweden | Decision, 3–0 | Dumitru Cuc | Romania |
| Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | Fall | Jack Rasmussen | Denmark |
| Kalle Haapasalmi | Finland | Bye | N/A | N/A |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Gustav Freij | Sweden | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Gyula Tarr | Hungary | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Franco Benedetti | Italy | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Dumitru Cuc | Romania | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | Kalle Haapasalmi | Finland | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Kamal Hussain | Egypt | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 8 | Erich Schmidt | Saar | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | Jack Rasmussen | Denmark | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | Zbigniew Szajewski | Poland | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 12 | Jan Cools | Belgium | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 12 | André Verdaine | France | 4 | 3 | 7 |

### Round 4
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Gyula Tarr | Hungary | Decision, 3–0 | Kalle Haapasalmi | Finland |
| Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | Fall | Franco Benedetti | Italy |
| Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | Decision, 3–0 | Dumitru Cuc | Romania |
| Gustav Freij | Sweden | Bye | N/A | N/A |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1 | Gustav Freij | Sweden | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1 | Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Gyula Tarr | Hungary | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Franco Benedetti | Italy | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | Dumitru Cuc | Romania | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | Kalle Haapasalmi | Finland | 4 | 3 | 7 |

### Round 5
#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Gustav Freij | Sweden | Decision, 3–0 | Gyula Tarr | Hungary |
| Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | Fall | Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia |

#### Points

| Rank | Wrestler | Nation | Start | Earned | Total |
| 1 | Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Gustav Freij | Sweden | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | Gyula Tarr | Hungary | 3 | 3 | 6 |

### Medal rounds

Safin's victory over Athanasov in round 5 counted for the medal rounds.

#### Bouts

| Winner | Nation | Victory Type | Loser | Nation |
| Gustav Freij | Sweden | Decision, 3–0 | Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia |
| Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | Fall | Gustav Freij | Sweden |

#### Points

| Wrestler | Nation | Wins | Losses | Start | Earned | Total |
| Shazam Safin | Soviet Union | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Gustav Freij | Sweden | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Mikuláš Athanasov | Czechoslovakia | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 8 |