Reto Bucher

{{short description|Swiss Greco-Roman wrestler}}

{{Infobox sport wrestler

| name = Reto Bucher

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Reto Bucher

| nickname =

| nationality = {{SUI}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|9|30|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Mühlau, Aargau, Switzerland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.80|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|74|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| website =

| country =

| style = Greco-Roman

| club = Ringerstaffel Freiamt

| coach = Leonz Küng (1997–2003)
Andrey Maltsev (2003–2009)

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalSport | Men's Greco-Roman wrestling}}

{{MedalCountry|{{SUI}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|European Championships}}

{{MedalSilver|2007 Varna|74 kg}}

| show_medals = yes

}}

Reto Bucher (born September 30, 1982 in Mühlau, Aargau) is a retired amateur Swiss Greco-Roman wrestler, who competed in the men's middleweight category.{{cite sports-reference|title = Reto Bucher|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bu/reto-bucher-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200417182408/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bu/reto-bucher-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 17 April 2020|access-date = 26 June 2014}} He finished fourth in the 74-kg division at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and later took home a silver medal at the 2007 European Championships in Varna, Bulgaria. Before his wrestling career ended in 2009, Bucher trained as a member of the wrestling team for Ringerstaffel Freiamt in Aristau, under his personal coach Leonz Küng.{{cite news|title=Ringen: Sense und Willisau in der Favoritenrolle|trans-title=Wrestling: Sense and Willisau are the favorites|language=German|url=http://www.news.ch/Ringen+Sense+und+Willisau+in+der+Favoritenrolle/151203/detail.htm|publisher=News.ch|date=18 September 2003|accessdate=5 June 2014}}{{cite news|title=Reto Bucher zieht Konsequenzen|trans-title=Reto Bucher draws to an end|language=German|url=http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/startseite/urnnewsmlwwwsda-atsch20091203brz014-1.4102572|publisher=Neue Zürcher Zeitung|date=3 December 2009|accessdate=5 June 2014}}

A member of the Swiss wrestling squad, Bucher entered the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens as an underdog in the men's 74 kg class, after placing third and receiving a berth from the final Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.{{cite news|last=Abbott|first=Gary|title=Olympic Games preview at 74 kg/163 lbs. in men's Greco-Roman|url=http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10321|work=USA Wrestling|publisher=The Mat|date=22 July 2004|accessdate=21 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715002845/http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10321|archive-date=15 July 2014|url-status=dead}} He opened his match by dominating Belarusian wrestler Aliaksandr Kikiniou with a 3–2 verdict, and then rallied for a 6–2 score over China's Sai Yinjiya in the prelim pool to move into the next round.{{cite news|title=Reto Bucher in Dreier-Vorrundengruppe|trans-title=Reto Bucher in the third preliminary pool|language=German|url=http://www.news.ch/Reto+Bucher+in+Dreier+Vorrundengruppe/188091/detail.htm|publisher=News.ch|date=24 August 2004|accessdate=5 June 2014}} Bucher edged past his Kazakh rival Danil Khalimov in the quarterfinals, before being tamed by eventual silver medalist Marko Yli-Hannuksela of Finland at 3–0, leaving him with an ankle injury.{{cite news|title=Silver medal for Marko Yli-Hannuksela in Greco-Roman wrestling|url=http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Silver+medal+for+Marko+Yli-Hannuksela+in+Greco-Roman+wrestling/1076153752638|publisher=Helsingin Sanomat|date=26 August 2004|accessdate=26 June 2014}} Fighting against Russia's Varteres Samurgashev for the bronze medal, Bucher could not endure a pain from his injury and easily lost the match to the Russian due to a 10–0 superiority limit.{{cite web|title=Wrestling: Men's Greco-Roman 74kg|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/wrestling/results/3532786.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=15 August 2004|accessdate=23 September 2013}}{{cite news|title=Ibrahim strikes Greco gold|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/wrestling/3602552.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=26 August 2004|accessdate=26 June 2014}}

Bucher lost again to Yli-Hannuksela for the bronze medal in the same division at the 2005 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, until his medal drought culminated with a silver at the European Championships in 2007.{{cite news|title=Reto Bucher wird WM-Fünfter|trans-title=Reto Bucher finished fifth at World Championships|language=German|url=http://www.news.ch/Reto+Bucher+wird+WM+Fuenfter/223136/detail.htm|publisher=News.ch|date=1 October 2005|accessdate=5 June 2014}}{{cite news|title=EM-Silber für Reto Bucher|trans-title=Silver medal for Bucher at European Champs|language=German|url=http://www.20min.ch/sport/weitere/story/10679982|publisher=20 minutes (Switzerland)|date=20 August 2007|accessdate=5 June 2014}} He also sought to compete for his second Swiss team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but missed out a spot from the Olympic trials.{{cite news|title=Auch Reto Bucher nicht nach Peking|trans-title=Reto Bucher will also not be in Beijing|language=German|url=http://www.tagblatt.ch/aktuell/sport/tb-sp/Auch-Reto-Bucher-nicht-nach-Peking;art120097,5668|publisher=St. Galler Tagblatt|date=29 May 2008|accessdate=5 June 2014}} In 2009, Bucher announced his official retirement from the sport because of a right knee injury sustained from the Swiss championships.