World Champion, Olympic Silver Medalist Alexandru Passes Away

By Tim Foley

World Champion, Olympic Silver Medalist Alexandru Passes Away
FILA News Service

BUCHAREST, Romania (May 21) -- Olympic silver medalist and Romanian wrestling legend Constantin Alexandru has died. 

According to the Romanian Wrestling Federation the 1980 Olympic silver medalist, two-time world champion and five-time European champion died from a heart attack on Sunday, August 10. He was 60 years old.

Alexandru won the silver medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow in the 48kg class in Greco-Roman wrestling and won the world championship in 1978 in San Diego and 1979 in Mexico City. He was second in the world championships in 1974 and won the European championships in 1974,1975 and 1977-1979. Alexandru also competed in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

""Wrestlers like Mr. Alexandru are the foundation of our history,"" said FILA President Nenad Lalovic. ""We will miss him, but we will also remember him and the contribution he made to our sport.""