György Gedó Turned His Second Olympics Into a Golden
György Gedó won Olympic light flyweight gold on September 10, 1972, defeating North Korea’s Kim U-gil in the Munich final. The Hungarian boxer’s championship performance came during a career that eventually spanned four Olympic Games.
Career highlights
Born in Újpest, Budapest, on April 23, 1949, Gedó made his Olympic debut in Mexico City in 1968. Four years later in Munich, he advanced through the light flyweight field with victories over opponents including Australia’s Dennis Talbot and the Soviet Union’s Vladimir Ivanov.
Gedó then defeated Britain’s Ralph Evans in the semifinal before outpointing Kim in the gold-medal contest. The victory made him the Olympic champion in the 48-kilogram division.
Four Olympic campaigns
Gedó returned for Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980, reaching the quarterfinals at both Games and finishing equal fifth. His four appearances took him from an opening-round exit in 1968 to gold in 1972 and two further runs into the tournament’s final eight.
Gedó had already become European champion in Bucharest in 1969 and retained that continental title in Madrid in 1971. His development included joining Budapest’s Vasas club in 1967, where he trained under Zsigmond Adler. He remained in Hungary’s national team for twelve years, and later earned recognition for his work as a coach, extending his contribution beyond Olympic competition.
Sources
- Olympedia: Gedó’s background and four Olympic results
- Olympedia: Munich 1972 light flyweight tournament and final
- Hungarian Boxing Federation: Gedó’s European titles, Vasas career and coaching recognition
