# Bayram Sit
**Bayram Şit** (1930 – 29 May 2019) was a Turkish freestyle wrestler who won the featherweight gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and later served as a coach and technical director of the Turkish national wrestling team.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1930 in Akşar, Acıpayam, Denizli (TUR); 29 May 2019 in Ankara (TUR)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379) |
| Olympic result | Gold, featherweight freestyle, 1952 Helsinki; joint-fourth, same class, 1956 Melbourne[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379) |
| 1952 final | Defeated Nasser Givehchi of Iran by unanimous decision and Joe Henson of the United States by fall (9:20) in a three-man round-robin[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/123202?id=133036) |
| World Championships | Silver, featherweight, 1954 Tokyo, behind Japan's Shozo Sasahara[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379) |
| Other titles | Gold, freestyle featherweight, 1951 Mediterranean Games; third, 1956 World Cup in Istanbul[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379) |
| Recognition | United World Wrestling Hall of Fame[3](https://cms.uww.org/person/bayram-sit) |
## Early career
Şit was born in 1930 in the village of Akşar in the Acıpayam district of [Denizli Province](https://www.edgepedia.org/denizli-province)[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379) • [4](https://prabook.com/web/bayram.sit/2460563). His first major international victory for Turkey came at the 1951 [Mediterranean Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/mediterranean-games) in Alexandria, where he took the freestyle featherweight gold medal[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379) • [4](https://prabook.com/web/bayram.sit/2460563).
## 1952 Olympic gold
The featherweight freestyle event at Helsinki, held 20 to 23 July 1952 at Messuhalli I and Messuhalli II, drew 21 wrestlers from 21 countries under a negative-points format in which five negative points eliminated a wrestler[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/123202?id=133036). Şit won his early bouts by fall and by 3-0 decisions, including a fall over Finland's Rauno Mäkinen in round four[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/123202?id=133036).
After five rounds only Şit, Iran's Nasser Givehchi, and the American Joe Henson remained, and none had yet faced the others, so the final round was a true round-robin. Şit beat Givehchi by unanimous decision and Henson by fall in 9:20, taking the gold; Givehchi won silver with a split decision over Henson[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/123202?id=133036).
## Later competitions
At the 1954 World Championships in Tokyo Şit reached the final and finished second to Japan's Shozo Sasahara, taking silver[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379).
Both Şit and Sasahara competed at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Şit could not defend his title and finished joint-fourth with the American Myron Roderick, while Sasahara won the gold[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379). Şit retired from competition after these Games[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379).
## Coaching and legacy
After retiring, Şit worked as a trainer in both France and Turkey, eventually serving as technical director of the Turkish national team[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379). [United World Wrestling](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-world-wrestling) lists him in its Hall of Fame and records his coaching role with the France national team[3](https://cms.uww.org/person/bayram-sit). He died in Ankara on 29 May 2019[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379).
## References
1. [Bayram Şit, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60379)
2. [Featherweight, Freestyle (≤62 kg), Men, Helsinki 1952, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/results/123202?id=133036)
3. [Bayram Sit, United World Wrestling](https://cms.uww.org/person/bayram-sit)
4. [Bayram Sit, Prabook](https://prabook.com/web/bayram.sit/2460563)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Amateur and collegiate wrestling › Olympic freestyle wrestlers › Turkish Olympic wrestlers*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license