1. Georg Lurich's family believed members of the German congregation had better opportunities to educate their children in town schools.
14 Facts About Georg Lurich
1. 2.
Georg Lurich studied information from German-language books in order to learn how to train.
3.
Georg Lurich began participating in sporting activities at an early age.
4.
Georg Lurich performed in St Petersburg's summer gardens, competed with local wrestlers and made various lifting demonstrations together with fellow strongman Gustav Boesberg.
5.
Georg Lurich's popularity convinced him to pursue a career as a professional athlete.
6.
Georg Lurich became the first Estonian to set world weightlifting records.
7.
From 1897 to 1898, Georg Lurich toured Estonia and his successes helped popularize athletics in Estonia; dozens of athletic clubs were established.
8.
In 1896, Lurich befriended an 18-year-old fellow countryman by the name of George Hackenschmidt and began to train the young man.
9.
Georg Lurich competed in freestyle wrestling matches in the United States between 1913 and 1917.
10.
Georg Lurich wrestled American world wrestling champion and title holder Frank Gotch in Kansas City in 1913, but lost what would be Gotch's final match.
11.
In 1912, Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson cast a bronze statue of Georg Lurich titled "Champion" which won the 1912 Paris Olympic artist contest.
12.
Georg Lurich was the inspirational model for a plaster of Paris sculpture by Adamson titled "Kalevipoeg at the Gates of Hell" in 1922.
13.
Georg Lurich remains one of the most beloved figures in Estonia to this day.
14.
On 22 April 2018, Georg Lurich's statue was opened in Vaike-Maarja.