Gustav Fristensky (Czech: Frištenský, 11 May 1879, Kamhajek – 4 April 1957, Litovel) was a famous Czechoslovak wrestler.
He was trained as a butcher. As a young man he started weightlifting. In the Brno athletic club Hellas he gained a foundation in Greco-Roman wrestling. Soon he was winning tournaments. In 1900 he became the Czech champion in discus throwing, in 1901 the Moravian champion in Greco-Roman wrestling and a year later the Austro-Hungarian champion. In 1903 he won a gold medal at the European Amateur Championships in Rotterdam. In his five-year amateur career he fought over 2000 matches and never lost.
He then turned professional. In 1911 he toured South America and in 1913 he toured the USA, where his performances won him the favour of the American public. In 1919 he represented Czechoslovakia at the Allied Sports Games in Paris. In 1929, at the age of fifty, he was crowned European professional champion. He still kept fit, exercised, did not smoke or drink, and despite his relatively old age he still wrestled. He fought 8,000 matches as a professional.
His athletic physique attracted filmmakers and his fit body often served as a model for sculptors. His achievements helped popularise wrestling in Czechoslovakia and contributed to the development of the sport in the region.
Source: Litovel Municipal Office
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