Viktor Smeds

Finnish sportsman

  • Loviisa Tor
  • Helsingin Atleettiklubi
  • Helsingin Nyrkkeilyseura
Medal record
Representing Russia Finland
Olympic Games
Men's Gymnastics
Bronze medal – third place 1908 London Gymnastics team

Viktor Reinhold Smeds (18 September 1885 – 22 February 1957) was a Finnish sportsleader and a boxer, who also won an Olympic bronze in gymnastics.

Sport

He was one of the most significant and internationally best-known sports leaders of his generation in Finland. His impact was especially pivotal in boxing. He also developed strength sports and wrestling, and won an Olympic medal in gymnastics.[1]

Olympics

Viktor Smeds at the Olympic Games
Games Sport Event Rank Notes
1908 Summer Olympics Gymnastics Men's team 3rd Source: [2]
1924 Summer Olympics Boxing Light heavyweight Did not start Source: [3]

He was the leader of the Finnish Olympic boxing team in 1932 and 1936.[4]

He was a wrestling judge at the 1920, 1924 and 1928 games, and a jury chairman in 1936 and 1948. He was a boxing judge at the 1928 and 1932 games and a jury chairman in 1948. He oversaw the boxing events at the 1952 games.[4]

He sat in the board of the Finnish Olympic Committee in 1932–1953.[4]

Other sport

He represented Finland in Nordic students' rowing competition twice. His team placed 3rd in 1907,[5] and 1st in 1908.[6]

He won the Finnish championship in boxing in light heavyweight in 1923 and heavyweight in 1925.[7][8] He also wrote some boxing-related guides.[1]

He also played football and tennis.[9]

Club memberships:

  • Lovisa Tor, founder and chairman[1]
  • Helsingin Nyrkkeilyseura, founder and chairman[1]
  • Helsingin Atleettiklubi, chairman[10]

Sports leader

International:[4][1]

He founded the Finnish Boxing Federation in 1923. He was the president of the federation until his death, except for one year-long break.[1]

He also was the chairman of the wrestling chapter of Finnish Gymnastics and Sports Federation in 1921–1922.[13]

Career

Smeds completed his matriculation exam in Vaasa Swedish Lycaeum in 1904, and graduated as a filosofian kandidaatti (roughly Master of Arts) from the University of Helsinki in 1907.[1]

He moved to Loviisa to teach Russian, gymnastics and physical education in 1909. He was also the local police chief.[1]

He was a businessman in various companies first in Saint Petersburg in 1916–1918 and then in Helsinki from 1918. He started his own business in 1940.[1]

He was a recruiter for the Finnish volunteers in the Waffen-SS.[14] He also interrogated Soviet prisoners of war in Finland. He left for Sweden in Operation Stella Polaris but soon returned to Finland.[15]

He spoke about twelve languages.[9]

Accolades

He received the following official decorations:[4]

Family

His parents were farmer Johan Erik Smeds and Lovisa Båsk.[1]

His first wife was Aina Maria Niska, sister of Algoth Niska, married in 1910.[16] They had two children:[1]

  1. Tove Maria, born 1912
  2. Björn, 1915–1952

His second wife was Helena Somow, married 1927. His third wife was Greta Carlson, married 1952.[1]

He's buried at the Hietaniemi Cemetery.[17]

Sources

  • Siukonen, Markku (2001). Urheilukunniamme puolustajat. Suomen olympiaedustajat 1906–2000. Suuri olympiateos (in Finnish). Jyväskylä: Graface. p. 312. ISBN 951-98673-1-7.
  • Viktor Smeds at Olympedia Edit this at Wikidata

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Autio, Veli-Matti (2007). "Smeds, Viktor". In Mäkelä-Alitalo, Anneli; et al. (eds.). Suomen kansallisbiografia. Studia biographica (in Finnish). Vol. 9: Siltanen–Tott. Helsinki: Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-951-746-450-5. ISSN 1456-2138.
  2. ^ Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian (2001). The 1908 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, With Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina, United States: McFarland. pp. 185. ISBN 978-0-7864-0598-5.
  3. ^ Comité Olympique Français. Avé, M. (ed.). Les Jeux de la VIIIe Olympiade Paris 1924 – Rapport Officiel [The Games of the VIIIth Olympiad Paris 1924 – Official Report] (PDF) (in French). Paris: Librairie de France. p. 200. Retrieved 1 October 2019 – via LA84 Foundation Digital Library.
  4. ^ a b c d e Lounasheimo, Ilmo; Salokangas, Atle (1993). Kehän ääreltä. 70 v. suomalaista nyrkkeilyä (in Finnish). Helsinki: Suomen nyrkkeilyliitto. pp. 82–83. ISBN 952-90-5201-4.
  5. ^ Schwey. (September 1907). "Skandinaavialaisten ylioppilaitten soutukilpailu vuonna 1907". Suomen Urheilulehti (in Finnish). pp. 466–467. ISSN 0355-6085. Retrieved 5 October 2019 – via Digital Collections of National Library of Finland.
  6. ^ "Soutu". Suomen Urheilulehti (in Finnish). July 1908. pp. 410–411. ISSN 0355-6085. Retrieved 5 October 2019 – via Digital Collections of National Library of Finland.
  7. ^ Lounasheimo, Ilmo; Salokangas, Atle (1993). Kehän ääreltä. 70 v. suomalaista nyrkkeilyä (in Finnish). Helsinki: Suomen nyrkkeilyliitto. pp. 268–270. ISBN 952-90-5201-4.
  8. ^ "SM-mitalistit 1923–1950" (in Finnish). Helsinki: Suomen Nyrkkeilyliitto. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b Sevón, Enzio (1983). "Viktor Smeds". Petalax historia (in Swedish). Vol. II. Petalax: Petalax hembygdsförening. pp. 565–568. ISBN 9519951911.
  10. ^ Hytönen, Mattiesko (1991). Vanhin ja kaunein. Helsingin Atleettiklubi 1891–1991 (in Finnish). Helsinki. p. 36.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ^ "President". Corsier-sur-Vevey: United World Wrestling. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  12. ^ Vares, Vesa (2022). "Kohti olympiaunelmaa". In Virtapohja, Kalle (ed.). SVUL:n vuosisata. Suomen suurin ja vaikutusvaltaisin urheilujärjestö [The Century of SVUL]. Suomen Urheilumuseosäätiön tutkimuksia (in Finnish). Vol. 4. Helsinki: Urheilun ja liikunnan kulttuurikeskus TAHTO, SVUL. p. 188. ISBN 9789526644219. ISSN 2243-1489.
  13. ^ Järvinen, Eino (1977). 70 vuotta suomalaista painia 1906–1976 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Finnish Wrestling Federation. p. 62.
  14. ^ Hakanpää, Mika; Saurio, Jari; Laitinen, Jouko; Uola, Mikko; Rosendahl, Raimo (2013). Suomalaisten Waffen-SS -vapaaehtoisten matrikkeli 1941–1943 (in Finnish) (2nd ed.). Tampere: Veljesapu-Perinneyhdistys ry. p. 281. ISBN 9789529319305.
  15. ^ Uola, Mikko (2013). Unelma kommunistisesta Suomesta 1944–1953 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Minerva. p. 228. ISBN 9789524927680.
  16. ^ Kallonen, Kari (2014). Algoth Niska. Salakuljettajien kuningas (in Finnish). Tampere: Revontuli. p. 37. ISBN 9789526665269.
  17. ^ "Smeds Viktor Reinhold". Hautahaku.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 24 February 2023.