Olympic Athlete. He was a professional wrestler who competed in the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympic games, but did not receive a medal in either event. He was born one of three children as Sven Johan Osvald Martinsen in Porvoo, Finland, to Karl Johan Alfred Martinsen and his wife Maria Sofia Nyman Martinsen on September 28, 1900. He was a professional wrestler, who was a member of the club Turn- og Idrettslaget National, of Sarpsborg, Norway. He participated in events of Greco-Roman wrestling, which is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. The form of Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 1896, and has been in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1904. This style of wrestling forbids holds below the waist, which is the main feature that differentiates it from freestyle wrestling and the other form of wrestling contested at the Olympics. This restriction results in an emphasis on throws, because a wrestler cannot use trips to bring an opponent to the ground or hook or grab the opponent's leg to avoid being thrown. He would eventually go onto represent his home country of Norway at the 1924 Summer Olympics that were held in Paris, France, where his final score in the Discipline Sport Event was a position of 9th place out of 24 in the Bantamweight, Greco-Roman, Men's Wrestling Event. He also represented his home country of Norway at the 1928 Summer Olympics that were held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where his final score in the Discipline Sport Event was a position of 9th place out of 19 in the Bantamweight, Greco-Roman, Men's Wrestling Event. He also participated at the 1929 European Wrestling Championships in Paris, France, in which he captured a Silver Medal with a finish of first place and 58.0 kg., he participated but won no medal at the 1930 European Wrestling Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, with a finish of 1st place and 61.0 kg, and at the 1933 European Wrestling Championship in Paris, France, in which he won a Bronze Medal with a finish of 3rd place and 61.0 kg. He continued to represent club Turn- og Idrettslaget National, of Sarpsborg, Norway, and be active in sports events until his death. He was married to Signe Antonie Hansen Martinsen on June 12, 1926.