Legendary boxer Ján Zachara passed away.The native of Trenčín was a four-time champion of Czechoslovakia in the 1950s, even winning a surprising Olympic gold at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in the under 57 kg category. The oldest living Olympic champion from the Tatra Mountains was known for his modesty despite his great achievements. Due to his shorter stature, many referred to him as the “little big man” of Slovak boxing.
He caused a sensation at the First All-Slavic Championships in 1947 in Prague in the flyweight division (up to 51 kg), where he became the winner, alongside Segalovič from the USSR. Their mutual fight ended in a draw, although, according to contemporary press reports, the Slovak should have clearly won. It was reportedly the only match of Segalovič’s career abroad in which he did not win.
Source: sportweb.pravda.sk, sport.sk
