Aleksandr Karelin

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Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Karelin (Template:Lang-rus; born 19 September 1967) is a Russian politician and retired athlete.

Karelin competed in Greco-Roman wrestling, representing the Soviet Union and Russia between 1986 and 2000. Nicknamed the "Russian Bear",<ref name=":12" /> "Russian King Kong",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "Alexander the Great", "The Experiment",<ref name=":15" /> and "The Crane from Novosibirsk",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he is widely considered to be the greatest and most dominant Greco-Roman wrestler of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":10">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Karelin won gold medals at the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Olympic Games under a different flag each time (Soviet Union, Unified Team, and Russia respectively), and a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games. His wrestling record at the senior level was 887 wins and two losses, both considered controversial and both by a single point.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":7" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to his defeat to American Rulon Gardner at the 2000 Olympics finals, a point had not been scored against him in competition the previous six years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":11">Template:Cite web</ref> He went undefeated in the World Championships, having never lost a match, winning nine gold medals.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref> He was the national flag bearer at three consecutive Olympics: in 1988 for the Soviet Union, in 1992 for the Unified Team, and in 1996 for Russia. In addition to his success in wrestling, he was a sambo champion during his service in the Internal Troops, and participated in a strongman contest.

Due to his dominance and accomplishments, he was named the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of the 20th century by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA),<ref name=":17" /><ref name=":6" /> and is part of the class of ten inaugural inductees into the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2007, Karelin, alongside Buvaisar Saitiev, were voted the best wrestlers in the history of the sport by FILA.<ref name=":19" /> Four times he was awarded the "Golden Belt" as the best wrestler of the planet by FILA – in 1989, 1990, 1992, and 1994.<ref name=":92" /><ref name=":20" />

Karelin was named a Hero of the Russian Federation in 1996. Karelin entered politics in 1999, being elected a deputy of the State Duma that year. He sat in the Duma through various convocations until 2020, when he entered the Federation Council as a senator.

Wrestling career

Karelin was born as a Template:Convert baby.<ref name="karelinru2">Александр Карелин: Борьба – это условие жизни Template:Webarchive. karelin.ru. 25 October 2013. The 6.8 kg figure reported by the Time journal was an exaggeration КАРЕЛИН Александр Александрович Template:Webarchive. biograph.ru</ref> He was an avid fan of literature and mathematics during his school years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He began training in 1981, under Viktor Kuznetsov, who remained his coach through his entire career.<ref name="iat">Kareline, Alexandre (RUS) Template:Webarchive. iat.uni-leipzig.de</ref><ref name="pr" /> He initially started boxing, following in the footsteps of his father, until he decided against it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also tried weightlifting, volleyball, basketball, skiing and swimming, excelling in all the sports he tried.<ref name=":14" /><ref name="fizvosp">Александр Карелин – гордость нашего спорта, колоритная личность, великий спортсмен, который и в 46 лет держит себя в великолепной форме! Поговорим о секретах успеха русского богатыря Template:Webarchive. fizvosp.ru. 21 March 2014.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Being naturally very big, he came to a wrestling gym, aged 13, standing Template:Convert tall and weighing Template:Convert,<ref name="Legends">Karelin: Legends Live On Template:Webarchive (Documentary). Olympic Channel, 5 April 2018.</ref> Karelin grew physically very fast and from 16 years of age throughout his entire career he competed in the super heavyweight division. In 1985 he came to an international competition and won a junior world title.<ref name="pr" /> He won gold at Friendship-84 in Greco-Roman wrestling as a junior.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1986, he competed in 14 tournaments, winning all of them.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He had his first loss (score 0–1) at the senior level at the USSR championships in 1987, to the reigning Russian and European champion Igor Rostorotsky, which was considered controversial;<ref name=":23">Template:Cite web</ref> he then defeated Rostorotsky at the next USSR Championships, while recovering from a flu and a recent concussion, by fall,<ref name="pr" /> and again in a match that would decide which of the two would go to the Summer Olympics, winning 2–0, effectively retiring Rostorotsky.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Karelin would go on to become a 13-time champion of the USSR, CIS, and Russia from 1988 to 2000,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which were considered just as hard to win as the European Championships,<ref name=":7" /> and arguably higher in level than the World Championships.<ref name=":24">Template:Cite web</ref> He is listed as runner-up to David Koplovitz at the 1992 Wrestling World Cup, for while he won all of his matches at the event, his partner Andrey Grishin competed in the rest of the rounds, and so they did not accumulate enough ranking points to beat the American team.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":13" />

Template:Quote box In the 1988 Olympic final Karelin beat Rangel Gerovski, by executing his signature Karelin Lift and won.<ref name=pr/> With his win, Karelin became the youngest Greco-Roman wrestler to become an Olympic champion at super heavyweight (130 kg) at the age of 21 years and two days.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Karelin won one of the fastest Olympic wrestling matches, pinning Ioan Grigoraş in only 14 seconds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Karelin faced American Matt Ghaffari for the gold medal. Karelin had come off a shoulder surgery and looked vulnerable against a strong Ghaffari, who was able to repel Karelin's efforts to lift and slam him, forcing Karelin to use all of his skill and experience to defend a 1–0 lead.<ref name="autogenerated2000">Jack McCallum (27 September 2000) Unheralded American slays Russian wrestling legend. Sports Illustrated.</ref>

After going 13 years undefeated in international competition and six years without giving up a point, he eventually lost 0–1 to Rulon Gardner of the United States in the final of the Sydney Olympics.<ref name="Miracle">The Sporting News, Miracle on the mat – wrestler Rulon Gardner wins the gold medal in the Olympics, 9 October 2000</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Karelin had previously beaten Gardner in 1997 with a score of 5–0 and throwing him three times.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His loss to Gardner is considered one of the biggest upsets in sports history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His loss in the final of the Sydney Olympics was his first and only international loss, having previously been unbeaten throughout his international career.<ref>"Alexander Karelin" in The World's Five Greatest Athletes No One Knows Template:Webarchive. drjudd.ne</ref><ref name=":13">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Karelin retired from competitions in 2000.<ref name=":12" />

Thus his only two losses at the senior level were in finals, those ultimately being the 1987 USSR Championships to Rostorotsky, and 2000 Summer Olympics to Gardner.<ref name=":7" /> However, both of his losses are considered controversial, with him also only losing to both opponents by a single point.<ref name=":23" /><ref name=":5" /> Some argue, such as Finnish former wrestler Tuomo Karila, that Gardner should not have been awarded the point, and that Karelin should have won.<ref name=":5" /> Karelin lost a few matches at the junior level,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":11" /> but his senior level record was an astounding 887–2.<ref name=":24" /><ref name=":7" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Karelin holds the record for most world-level gold medals at 12, the most for either freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestling in men's competitions, and also holds the joint-record for most medals at the world-level, with 13, which is tied with the American wrestler Bruce Baumgartner.<ref name=":13" />

In addition to his wrestling success, twice was Karelin the winner of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, in 1986 and 1991.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Training style

Karelin was revered for his extraordinary strength and unprecedented success in international competition. He competed in the heaviest weight class of his day, 130 kg (286 lb). His coach was at first skeptical about a big but undeveloped boy, yet he accepted Karelin and motivated him for hard training, both in wrestling technique and physical strength. As a result, over the years Karelin progressed from 0 to 42 pull-ups.<ref name=karelinru2/><ref name=lift>Dawidoff, Nicholas (13 May 1991) A Bruiser and a Thinker: Soviet Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin is a rare combination of massive physique and imposing intellect. Sports Illustrated</ref> His conditioning and quickness combined with his dominance of the sport, led to him being known as "The Experiment". When asked why he thought he was called that (referring to a biased opinion on his alleged PED use), Karelin noted that: "No one can completely believe that I am natural. The most important drug is to train like a madman – really like a madman. The people who accuse me are those who have never trained once in their life like I train every day of my life."<ref name=Winner>Template:Cite web</ref>

Karelin's daily training drills included hours of rowing and long runs through Taiga forest often with a large log on his back.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He favored the overhead press and also used standard 2-pood kettlebells (Template:Convert) for arm exercises at a daily weight routine. He would clean and press Template:Convert.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> He would reportedly do 10 reps of Template:Convert of Zercher deadlifts.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Karelin would routinely bench press Template:Convert or more as part of his workout.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tuomo Karila, a Finnish wrestler, while following Karelin's training routine, observed that Karelin was able to do around 50 chin-ups within a minute, and praised his strength and agility.<ref name=":5" /> Despite his large physique, he was flexible and agile enough to do backflips and splits.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> When asked about his toughest opponent, Karelin instantly replied: "My refrigerator," referring to the time for which he bear hugged his refrigerator, weighing over 500 lbs,<ref name=":15">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and carried it up through eight flights of stairs of his hometown 9-storied apartment building.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>Aleksandr Karelin - Train Like a Madman by Josh Bryant, 2 August 2017.</ref><ref>Идеальный олимпийский Франкенштейн - Runners' Club Template:Webarchive (in Russian) 24 August 2016.</ref><ref name=":1"/> Karelin also took part in a strongman competition, that being the 1991 European Hercules, and without prior preparation, he managed to place 8th.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Wrestling style

Karelin was famous for his reverse body lift, the Karelin Lift, where facing the opponent who was lying flat on the mat to keep from being thrown, Karelin hoisted his opponents into the air and slammed him violently to the mat. This devastatingly effective maneuver, when properly executed, awarded Karelin 5 points per throw, the maximum awarded in Greco-Roman wrestling. The throw had long been in use by lighter wrestlers but not by heavyweights – because of the immense strength required to raise, spin and hit the mat with a 560+ lbs combined weight of both athletes (280+ of which resist desperately to the performed maneuver). Karelin's ability to perform this throw against elite opponents weighing as much as 130 kg amazed other participants and observers of the sport.<ref name=lift/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His exceptionally long reach, with measurements between Template:Convert<ref name=":0" /> and Template:Convert,<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> helped him to grip his opponents' bodies.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Furthermore, his incredible grip strength was described as being similar to that of "an anaconda", which allowed him to hold down his opponents and prevent them from escaping from his grasp.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His strength, size, explosiveness, flexibility and agility led Joe Rogan to describe Karelin as a "human panther".<ref name=":16" />Template:Quote box

Injuries

Like most top wrestlers, Karelin had a number of severe injuries through his career. He credits his fast recoveries to Valery Okhapkin, physician of the national wrestling team, and claims that Okhapkin extended his competition lifetime by several years.<ref name=pr/>

At the age of 15, Karelin broke his leg while training; having learned about this accident, his mother burned his wrestling uniform and forbade him to wrestle. At the 1988 USSR Championships, Karelin won and also defeated Igor Rostorotsky in a rematch, despite suffering from a concussion and high temperature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He won the 1993 World Championships despite breaking two ribs in the opening bout against Matt Ghaffari.<ref name=":22">Template:Cite web</ref> Another injury occurred at the 1996 European Championships in Budapest, as he had torn the right pectoralis major muscle so badly that doctors predicted he would not be able to use his right hand for several months. Karelin won the Championships,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but he had to be urgently operated on in Budapest. Despite not being fully recovered, he won the 1996 Olympics three months later.<ref name=":22" /> He has avoided multiple ear cartilage injuries of both ears, unlike many wrestlers.<ref name=":6" />

International competition record

Mixed martial arts

On 21 February 1999, Karelin defeated Akira Maeda in a shoot wrestling contest put on by RINGS that drew a gate of over $1 million. The match gained widespread media coverage, including mentions in The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.<ref name="youtube.com">Template:Cite web</ref> The match took place in the Maeda-owned professional wrestling organization RINGS. Though widely considered to have been a shoot style wrestling contest, the match is counted as an official mixed martial arts (MMA) match in Sherdog's record database.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Karelin weighed in at Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Political career

Between 1995 and 1999, Karelin served with the Russian tax police and retired in the rank of colonel.<ref name=pr/> Upon invitation from Vladimir Putin, in 1999, he began his political career. He joined the United Russia party and was elected to the State Duma as a representative of Novosibirsk Oblast in 1999 and 2003. In 2007, he was elected to the Duma as a representative of Stavropol Krai. He was a member of Duma's committee on international affairs.<ref name=sr>Template:Cite Sports-Reference</ref> In 2017, he entered the PutinTeam, a social movement aimed at promoting Vladimir Putin's policies.

In 2020, Karelin was appointed as senator from the Legislative Assembly of Novosibirsk Oblast in the Federation Council. He took up the post on 25 September 2020, and is a member of the council's committee on International Affairs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in 2022 in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Karelin graduated from the Novosibirsk Institute of Transportation in 1985, followed by the Siberian Academy of Physical Culture, a military school of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD USSR) and the Saint Petersburg University of MVD USSR. In 1998 he defended a PhD and in 2002 a habilitation in sport-related pedagogy; he also holds a degree in law. His PhD is titled: "Methods of execution of suplex throw counters" (Template:Langx), and "Integral training system for top-level wrestlers" (Template:Langx).<ref name=karelinru/>

Karelin's father was a truck driver and an amateur boxer.<ref name=pr/> Karelin is married to Olga, they have two sons, Denis and Ivan, and one daughter, Vasilisa.<ref name=pr/> Denis (born c. 1986) tried wrestling, but gave it up in favor of car racing.<ref>Yekaterina Olkhovskaya (31 October 2008) Денис КАРЕЛИН: «Мой девиз – быть сильным, слабым не везет!» Template:Webarchive Komsomolskaya Pravda</ref> Ivan (born 1994) is coached by Kuznetsov and competes in the Greco-Roman superheavyweight division.<ref>Карелин Иван Александрович Template:Webarchive. wrestrus.ru</ref> Vasilisa (born c. 1999) is a rhythmic gymnast.<ref>Олимпийский чемпион Карелин высоко оценил новый Дворец единоборств в Пензе Template:Webarchive. Vesti.ru. 23 March 2015</ref> Karelin had an older brother, Sergei Aleksandrovich Karelin, who died in 2017 at the age of 56.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Karelin is an Orthodox Christian.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since he was young, Karelin has sought to be a "classical man", and is well-versed in music and literature, with an interpreter of his stating "His knowledge and his feeling for poetry, literature and music are incredible."<ref name=":0" />

Starting in 1985, he served in the West Siberian Directorate of the Internal Troops of the USSR and Russia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While serving he competed in sambo, and became a sambo champion.<ref name=":14">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From 1986 to 1991, Karelin served as a sports instructor of the 2nd category for the West Siberian Directorate, then sports instructor of the highest qualification from 1991 to 1992, and then coach of the sports team from 1992 to 1995.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Legacy and awards

Karelin was named as the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of the 20th century by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA),<ref name=":17">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6" /> and is one of the class of ten inaugural inductees into the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.<ref name=":18">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, Karelin, alongside Buvaisar Saitiev, were voted the best wrestlers in the history of the sport by FILA.<ref name=":19">Template:Cite web</ref> Four times he was awarded the "Golden Belt" as the best wrestler of the planet by FILA - in 1989, 1990, 1992, and 1994.<ref name=":92">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":20">Template:Cite web</ref> He was also included in the 25 best world athletes of the 20th century.<ref name=karelinru>Karelin, Alexander Alexandrovich Template:Webarchive. Karelin.ru.</ref> Since 1992, an annual wrestling competition is held in Novosibirsk in his honor.<ref name=pr/><ref name=sr/>

He is cited as being one of the most dominant athletes of all time,<ref name=":10" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and as being one of the greatest of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is also remembered as being one of the most feared and intimidating athletes ever.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is also seen as one of the most gifted athletes of all time due to his combination of explosiveness, strength, intellect, flexibility, and agility.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":16">Template:Cite web</ref>

He has been praised as one of the greatest wrestlers ever by, or usually as the single greatest ever, by other combat athletes like Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Alexander Romanov, Mark Madsen, Juha Ahokas, and even by Rulon Gardner himself.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":8" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":21">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rulon Gardner stated about Karelin that:<ref name=":21" />Template:BlockquoteKarelin was named a Hero of the Russian Federation in 1996 and awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1989), Order of Honour (2001) and Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" IV class (2008).<ref name="pr" /> He was awarded the Serbian Order of Saint Sava.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, he was awarded the Order "For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was also named a Merited Master of Sports of the USSR (1988).<ref name=":9">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He is a hidden playable character in the Japan-only, AKI Corporation-created, Nintendo 64 video game: Virtual Pro Wrestling 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notes

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References

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External links

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Template:Footer Olympic Champions Greco-Roman wrestling super heavyweight Template:World Champions Greco-Roman wrestling super heavyweight

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Aleksandr Karelin

Contents

Wrestling career

Training style

Wrestling style

Injuries

International competition record

Mixed martial arts

Political career

Personal life

Legacy and awards

See also

Notes

References

External links

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Aleksandr Karelin

Wrestling career

Training style

Wrestling style

Injuries

International competition record

Mixed martial arts

Political career

Personal life

Legacy and awards

See also

Notes

References

External links

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