Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1968 Summer Olympics - up to 78 kg

Fight on 1968 Summer Olympics
Greco-Roman style
Up to 52 kg		Up to 78 kg
Up to 57 kg		Up to 87 kg
Up to 63 kg		Up to 97 kg
Up to 70 kg		Over 97 kg
Freestyle
Up to 52 kg		Up to 78 kg
Up to 57 kg		Up to 87 kg
Up to 63 kg		Up to 97 kg
Up to 70 kg		Over 97 kg
← 1964

Competitions in Greco-Roman wrestling in the framework of the 1968 Olympic Games at welterweight (up to 78 kilograms) were held in Mexico City from October 23 to October 26, 1968 in the Ice Rink of the Insurgents.

The tournament was held on the system with the accrual of penalty points.

• 0 penalty points in case of a clear victory or disqualification of the opponent, as well as no-show;
• 0.5 penalty points in case of victory due to obvious technical superiority (by eight or more points);
• 1 penalty point in case of victory by points (with a difference of less than eight points);
• 2 penalty points in the case of an effective draw;
• 2.5 penalty points in the case of an ineffectual draw (passive draw);
• 3 penalty points in case of defeat by points (with a difference of less than eight points);
• 3.5 penalty points in case of defeat due to the obvious technical superiority of the opponent (by eight or more points);
• 4 penalty points in case of a pure defeat or disqualification as well as non-appearance.

The three remaining wrestlers reached the final, where they held meetings with each other. Meetings between the finalists, held in the preliminary bouts, were taken into account. The fight, according to the tournament regulations, lasted 9 minutes in three three-minute periods, the less active wrestler was put in the pit. Could be assigned overtime.

The welterweight competed 22 members. Victor Igumenov, the world champion of 1966 and 1967, looked like an absolute and indisputable favorite before the Olympic Games, and by and large, he had an equal competitor. The world champion also performed in the category, but in free-style wrestling Daniel Robin (who had already won silver in these freestyle wrestling games), bronze medalist of the 1960 games Jon Ceranu , world vice-champion Rudolf Vesper , but Igumenov’s task did not look at all impracticable. However, in the third round, the Igumenov sensationally ended up on the shoulder blades in a meeting with Harald Barley, whose maximum achievement was 6th place in the European Championship. Igumenov explains this by arrogance and coaching error

Tournament alignment was also unusual. After the fifth round, three wrestlers remained in the tournament: Vesper, Robin and Hungarian wrestler Karoy Baiko , that is, the final part of the tournament began. But it turned out that they had all met each other, and there was no need for final meetings. Vesper, defeating Robin and making a draw in a meeting with Baiko, became the first, Robin, losing to Vesper and defeating Baiko, the second, and Baiko with a draw and a defeat - the third.