Obituary

Olympic champion Macha passes away

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - 09:40 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 31) -- Olympic champion and United World Wrestling Hall of Fame member Vitezslav MACHA (CZE) passed away on May 29 aged 75.

Macha, born in 1948, was the only Olympic champion from the country as he won the gold medal in Greco-Roman 74kg weight class at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. He had defeated Petros GALAKTOPOULOS (GRE) in the final bout. At the next Olympics in 1976, Macha won a silver medal at the Montreal Games to become a two-time Olympic medalist.

In World Championships, Macha stood on the top of the podium twice -- 1974 in Poland and 1977 in Sweden. His European Championships record includes a gold medal at the 1977 edition and four other medals -- two silver and two bronze.

Macha last competed at the 1980 Olympic Games, finishing sixth, before moving into coaching and even holding the post of President of the Czech Wrestling Federation.

UWW expresses its deepest condolences to the Macha family.

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UWW Signs MoU with Smoothcomp for Grappling, Amateur MMA

Monday, May 18, 2026 - 07:04 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 18) -- United World Wrestling (UWW) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Smoothcomp AB to collaborate in the areas of event management systems, competition software, and digital solutions for UWW Associated Styles, including Grappling, Pankration, and Amateur MMA.

The MoU was signed last week in Lausanne, Switzerland and in effect for 12 months from the date of signing.

It outlines the respective roles of both organizations and provides for UWW’s evaluation and potential use of Smoothcomp’s platform for event registration and competition management, as well as support for pilot events and development projects.

The agreement also includes the exploration of potential integration between Smoothcomp’s platform and UWW systems, including Athena and related tools.

About United World Wrestling:
United World Wrestling is the international governing body for the sport of wrestling, recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Headquartered in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland, UWW oversees Olympic wrestling disciplines, including Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Women’s Wrestling, as well as associated styles such as Grappling, Pankration, Belt Wrestling, and Beach Wrestling. UWW works with national federations worldwide to promote, regulate, and develop the sport at all levels.

About Smoothcomp:
Smoothcomp AB is a Sweden-based provider of competition management software and digital solutions for combat sports and martial arts events. Its platform supports online registration, brackets, scheduling, live scoring, and event administration for organizers, athletes, coaches, and federations worldwide.