Adolf Seger won two Olympic bronze medals.
The German Wrestling Federation (DRB) mourns the loss of Adolf Seger. The 1975 and 1977 world champion and 1972 and 1976 Olympic bronze medalist passed away at the age of 81 in his hometown of Freiburg im Breisgau, as the DRB announced on Instagram on Monday.
“With the passing of Adolf Seger, the German wrestling community has lost one of its greatest figures,” the DRB stated, honoring the former middleweight and welterweight wrestler as a “legend of our sport.” He had achieved numerous wins by fall using the “Seger hold,” named after him.
Seger, who—in addition to his successful athletic career—worked as a mail carrier for 42 years until his retirement in 2010, was described as “a role model, friend, and ambassador for wrestling”: “His name and his legacy will forever remain part of the history of German wrestling.”
Seger, also a three-time European champion, remained loyal to his sport well into old age. In the veterans’ wrestling (Masters) division, he won ten world championship titles.