Aleksandr Karelin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aleksandr Karelin
Александр Карелин
Karelin in 2013
Russian Federation Senator from Novosibirsk Oblast
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 September 2020 Serving with Vladimir Gorodetsky
Preceded by	Vladimir Laptev [ru]
Member of the State Duma for Novosibirsk Oblast
In office 5 October 2016 – 15 September 2020
Preceded by	constituency re-established
Succeeded by	Alexander Aksyonenko
Constituency	Iskitim (No. 137)
In office 18 January 2000 – 29 December 2003
Preceded by	Arkady Yankovsky
Succeeded by	Anatoly Lokot
Constituency	Zayeltsovsky (No. 126)
Member of the State Duma (Party List Seat)
In office 29 December 2003 – 5 October 2016
Personal details
Born	(1967-09-19) 19 September 1967 (age 57) Novosibirsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Political party	United Russia Unity (until 2001)
Education	Omsk State Institute of Physical Culture Saint Petersburg State University (D.Sc.)

Personal information
Height	6 ft 3 in
Weight	286 lb
Sport
Country	Soviet Union (1986–1991)  Unified Team /  CIS (1992)  Russia (1993–2000)
Sport	Wrestling
Event(s)	Greco-Roman
Club	Dynamo Novosibirsk
Coached by	Viktor Kuznetsov
Retired	2000
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 1 0 World Championship 9 0 0 World Cup 1 1 0 European Championship 12 0 0 Grand Prix Ivan Poddubny 5 0 0 Aleksandr Karelin Cup 1 0 0 World Junior Championships 2 0 0 European Junior Championships 1 0 0 Friendship-84 Juniors 1 0 0 Total 35 2 0 Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul 130 kg Gold 1992 Barcelona 130 kg Gold 1996 Atlanta 130 kg Silver 2000 Sydney 130 kg World Championships Gold Martigny 1989 130 kg Gold Ostia 1990 130 kg Gold Varna 1991 130 kg Gold Stockholm 1993 130 kg Gold Tampere 1994 130 kg Gold Prague 1995 130 kg Gold Wroclaw 1997 130 kg Gold Gävle 1998 130 kg Gold Athens 1999 130 kg World Cup Gold Albany 1987 130 kg Silver Besançon 1992 130 kg European Championships Gold Kolbotn 1988 130 kg Gold Oulu 1989 130 kg Gold Poznań 1990 130 kg Gold Aschaffenburg 1991 130 kg Gold Copenhagen 1992 130 kg Gold Istanbul 1993 130 kg Gold Athens 1994 130 kg Gold Besançon 1995 130 kg Gold Budapest 1996 130 kg Gold Minsk 1998 130 kg Gold Sofia 1999 130 kg Gold Moscow 2000 130 kg Aleksandr Karelin Cup Gold Novosibirsk 1995 130 kg Junior World Championships Gold Colorado Springs 1985 130 kg Gold Burnaby 1987 130 kg Junior European Championships Gold Malmö 1986 130 kg Friendship-84 Juniors Gold Budapest 1984 130 kg

Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Karelin (born September 19, 1967) is a famous Russian politician and a retired athlete. He is known as one of the greatest Greco-Roman wrestlers of all time. People called him the "Russian Bear" and "Alexander the Great" because of his incredible strength and success.

Karelin won three gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1988, 1992, and 1996. He also won a silver medal in 2000. He was almost unbeatable in wrestling, with 887 wins and only two losses in his whole career. He won nine gold medals at the World Wrestling Championships without ever losing a match. He even carried his country's flag at three different Olympics!

Because he was so dominant, he was named the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of the 20th century. He was also one of the first people to be put into the International Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1996, he was given the title "Hero of the Russian Federation", which is a very high honor in Russia. After his wrestling career, Karelin became a politician, serving in the Russian government.

Wrestling Career: The Unstoppable Force

Karelin was a big baby, weighing about 5.5 kilograms (12 lb) when he was born. As a child, he loved reading and math. He started training in wrestling in 1981 with his coach, Viktor Kuznetsov, who stayed with him his whole career. He tried many sports like boxing, weightlifting, and swimming, and was good at all of them.

By age 13, he was already 179 centimetres (5 ft 10 in) tall and weighed 79 kilograms (174 lb). He grew very fast and competed in the super heavyweight division from age 16. In 1985, he won a junior world title. He also won gold at the Friendship-84 Games as a junior. In 1986, he won all 14 tournaments he entered!

Karelin had his first loss in 1987, but it was very close and many thought it was unfair. After that, he became a 13-time champion in Russia from 1988 to 2000. These championships were very tough to win, sometimes even harder than the World Championships.

Olympic Gold Medals

Karelin's Olympic journey was amazing.

• In the 1988 Olympic final, he beat Rangel Gerovski using his special move, the "Karelin Lift". He became the youngest Greco-Roman Olympic champion at super heavyweight at just 21 years old.
• At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, he won one of the fastest wrestling matches ever, pinning his opponent in only 14 seconds!
• In the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, he had just had shoulder surgery. He faced American Matt Ghaffari and won a very tough match, showing his incredible skill.

After being undefeated for 13 years in international competitions, he finally lost in the final of the 2000 Sydney Olympics to Rulon Gardner from the United States. This loss was a huge surprise in sports history. Before this, no one had scored a single point against him in six years! Even though he lost, many people still believe he should have won that match. Karelin retired from wrestling after the 2000 Olympics.

He holds the record for the most world-level gold medals in wrestling, with 12. He is truly one of the greatest athletes ever.

Training Secrets

Karelin was known for his incredible strength. He competed in the heaviest weight class, around 130 kilograms (290 lb). His coach pushed him to train very hard. Karelin could do 42 pull-ups! People called him "The Experiment" because of his amazing fitness and speed.

He said his secret was to "train like a madman." His daily workouts included hours of rowing and long runs through the forest with a heavy log on his back. He also lifted heavy weights, like pressing 190 kilograms (420 lb) overhead. He even reportedly carried his 500-pound refrigerator up eight flights of stairs! This shows how dedicated and strong he was.

Wrestling Style: The Karelin Lift

Karelin was famous for his special move called the "Karelin Lift." This move was incredibly difficult. When an opponent lay flat on the mat to avoid being thrown, Karelin would lift them high into the air, spin them, and slam them down. This move earned him the maximum 5 points.

It took immense strength to lift and throw someone who weighed up to 130 kilograms (290 lb) and was resisting. His long arms and incredibly strong grip, described as being like an "anaconda," helped him control his opponents. His combination of strength, size, speed, and flexibility made him a "human panther."

Overcoming Injuries

Like many top athletes, Karelin had serious injuries.

• At 15, he broke his leg. His mother was so worried she burned his wrestling uniform!
• In 1993, he broke two ribs in his first match at the World Championships but still won the gold medal.
• In 1996, he badly tore a muscle in his chest. Doctors thought he wouldn't be able to use his right hand for months. But he won the European Championships and then the Olympics just three months later!

He was able to recover quickly thanks to his team's doctor.

Political Career

Karelin as a politician in 2018.

After his amazing wrestling career, Aleksandr Karelin entered politics. In 1999, he was invited by Vladimir Putin to join the United Russia party. He was elected to the State Duma, which is like a parliament, representing his home region of Novosibirsk. He served in the Duma for many years until 2020.

In 2020, he became a senator in the Federation Council, another part of the Russian government. He is a member of the council's committee on International Affairs.

Personal Life

Aleksandr Karelin studied at several universities, earning degrees in physical culture and law. He also has advanced degrees related to sports training. He is married to Olga, and they have two sons, Denis and Ivan, and a daughter, Vasilisa. His son Ivan also wrestles in the superheavyweight division, following in his father's footsteps. His daughter Vasilisa is a rhythmic gymnast.

Karelin is an Orthodox Christian. He has always tried to be a "classical man," meaning he loves music and literature. People who know him say his knowledge of poetry and books is incredible. Before becoming a politician, he also served in the military and even became a champion in sambo, another type of martial art.

Legacy and Awards

Aleksandr Karelin is truly a legend in the world of sports. The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) named him the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of the 20th century. He was one of the first ten people to be inducted into the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. FILA also voted him one of the best wrestlers in history in 2007. He won the "Golden Belt" award four times as the best wrestler on the planet.

Many other famous wrestlers and athletes consider him the greatest wrestler ever. Even Rulon Gardner, the American wrestler who beat him in his last Olympic match, said: "Karelin - God. He was and will remain the best fighter."

Karelin has received many high honors and awards from Russia, including:

• Hero of the Russian Federation (1996)
• Order of Friendship of Peoples (1989)
• Order of Honour (2001)
• Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" IV class (2008)

An annual wrestling competition is held in his honor in his hometown of Novosibirsk. He is remembered as one of the most dominant, feared, and gifted athletes of all time, known for his amazing strength, speed, and intelligence.

Images for kids

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  Karelin in 2013

See Also

In Spanish: Alexandr Karelin para niños

• List of Heroes of the Russian Federation