Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Karelin ( rus, Александр Александрович Карелин, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ kəˈrʲelʲɪn; born 19 September 1967) is a Russian politician and retired athlete. Karelin competed in

Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), classic wrestling ( Euro English) or French wrestling (in Russia until 1948) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first mo ...

, representing the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

between 1987 and 2000. Nicknamed the "Russian Bear", "Russian King Kong", "Alexander the Great" and "The Experiment", he is widely considered to be the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time. Karelin won gold medals at the 1988, 1992 and 1996

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

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 is 887 wins and two losses, both by a single point. Prior to his last match versus

Rulon Gardner Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's three-time reigning gold medalist Aleksan ...

in September 2000, a point had not been scored on him within the previous six years. He went undefeated in the world championships, having never lost a match. Karelin 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. Karelin entered politics in 1999, being elected a deputy of the

State Duma The State Duma (russian: Госуда́рственная ду́ма, r=Gosudárstvennaja dúma), commonly abbreviated in Russian as Gosduma ( rus, Госду́ма), is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, while the upper hous ...

that year. He sat in the Duma through various convocations until 2020, when he entered the

Federation Council The Federation Council (russian: Сове́т Федера́ции – ''Soviet Federatsii'', common abbreviation: Совфед – ''Sovfed''), or Senate (officially, starting from July 1, 2020) ( ru , Сенат , translit = Senat), is th ...

as a senator.

Wrestling career

Karelin was born as a baby.Александр Карелин: Борьба – это условие жизни
. karelin.ru. 25 October 2013. The 6.8 kg figure reported by the ''Time'' journal was an exaggeratio
КАРЕЛИН Александр Александрович
. biograph.ru He began training in 1981, under Viktor Kuznetsov, who remained his coach through his entire career.Kareline, Alexandre (RUS)
. iat.uni-leipzig.de Before that he tried boxing, weightlifting, volleyball, basketball, skiing and swimming, excelling in all the sports he tried.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
. fizvosp.ru. 21 March 2014. Being naturally very big, he came to a wrestling gym, aged 13, standing tall and weighing ,Karelin: Legends Live On
(Documentary).

Olympic Channel Olympic Channel is an over-the-top Internet television service operated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It was launched on August 21, 2016, alongside the closing of the 2016 Summer Olympics. The service aims to maintain year-round ...

, 5 April 2018. Karelin grew physically very fast and from 16 years of age throughout his entire career he competed in the super heavyweight division, he went undefeated for the first time from 1982 to 1987 and second time from 1987 to 2000. In 1985 he came to an international competition and won a junior world title. He had his first loss (score 0–1) at the USSR championships in 1987, to the reigning Russian and European champion Igor Rostorotsky; he defeated Rostorotsky at the next USSR championships while recovering from a flu and a recent concussion. He would go on to become a 13-time champion of the USSR, CIS, and Russia from 1988 to 2000. In the 1988 Olympic final Karelin came close to losing to Rangel Gerovski, but with 15 seconds left managed to execute his signature Karelin Lift and won. 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. 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.Jack McCallum (27 September 2000
Unheralded American slays Russian wrestling legend
''Sports Illustrated''. After going 13 years undefeated in international competition and six years without giving up a point, he lost 0–1 to

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

in the final of the

Sydney Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

.The Sporting News, Miracle on the mat – wrestler Rulon Gardner wins the gold medal in the Olympics, 9 October 2000 His loss in the final of the Sydney Olympics was his first and only international loss, having previously been unbeaten throughout his international career. Karelin retired from competitions in 2000.

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.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 ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...

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 Peds are aggregates of soil particles formed as a result of pedogenic processes; this natural organization of particles forms discrete units separated by pores or voids. The term is generally used for macroscopic (visible; i.e. greater than 1 mm in ...

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." Karelin's daily training drills included hours of

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

and long runs through

Taiga Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, sp ...

forest often with a large log on his back. He favored the

overhead press The overhead press is an upper-body weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight overhead while seated or standing. It is mainly used to develop the anterior deltoid muscles of the shoulder. The standing version was once a compon ...

and also used standard 2-

pood ''Pood'' ( rus, пуд, r=pud, p=put, plural: or ) is a unit of mass equal to 40 ''funt'' (, Russian pound). Since 1899 it is set to approximately 16.38 kilograms (36.11 pounds). It was used in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. ''Pood'' was first m ...

kettlebell In weight training, a kettlebell is a cast-iron or Steel casting, cast-steel ball with a handle attached to the top (resembling a cannonball with a handle). It is used to perform many types of exercises, including Ballistic Training, ballist ...

s () for arm exercises at a daily weight routine. He is said to have clean and pressed . Karelin would reportedly do 10 reps of of Zercher deadlifts. He would routinely bench press as part of his workout. According to Tuomo Karila, a Finnish wrestler, while following Karelin's training routine, he observed that Karelin was able to do around 50 chin-ups within a minute. Despite his large physique, he was flexible and agile enough to do backflips and splits. When asked about his toughest opponent, Karelin instantly replied: "My refrigerator," referring to the time for which he

bear hug In wrestling, a bear hug, also known as a bodylock, is a grappling clinch hold and stand-up grappling position where the arms are wrapped around the opponent, either around the opponent's chest, midsection, or thighs, sometimes with one or bot ...

ged his

refrigerator A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so th ...

, weighing over 500lbs, and carried it up through eight flights of stairs of his hometown 9-storied

apartment building An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ma ...

. Karelin also took part in a strongman competition, that being the 1991 European Hercules, placing 8th.

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 them 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. His exceptionally long reach, with measurements between and , helped him to grip his opponent's bodies. 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.

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. 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. Since then he broke his arms twice and ribs thirteen times. Around January 1988 he had a serious concussion, and doctors considered removing him from the 1988 Olympic team. Karelin won the 1993 World Championships despite breaking two ribs in the opening bout against Matt Ghaffari. At the 1996 European Championships in Budapest, he had torn the right

pectoralis major muscle The pectoralis major () is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle, situated at the chest of the human body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles and lies under the breast. Beneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor ...

so badly that doctors predicted he would not be able to use his right hand for several months. Karelin won the Championships, but had to be urgently operated on in Budapest. He recovered within three months to compete at the 1996 Olympics. As many other wrestlers, Karelin has a bit tongue (which was and still is a very frequent wrestling injury before the advent of contemporary chin-tight

wrestling headgear Wrestling headgear is protection that a person wears over the ears and chin during wrestling matches. Description The main purpose of headgear is to protect the ears of the wrestler, not really the head as the name implies. Thus, wrestling headg ...

), which affects his pronunciation and speech, limiting r-containing words usage. And as many other wrestlers he has multiple ear cartilage injuries of both ears.

International competition record

, - ! Res. ! Opponent ! Method ! Time/
Score ! Date ! Event ! Location , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Loss , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 0–1 , style="font-size:88%", 2000-09-25 , rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

2000 Olympic Games The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

, rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

, - , Win , align=left,

Dmitry Debelka Dmitry Vladimirovich Debelka ( be, Дзмітрый (Зьміцер) Уладзіміравіч Дзябёлка; 7 January 1976 – February 2022) was a Belarusian wrestler who competed in the Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg at the 2000 Summer Olympic ...

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 3–0 , style="font-size:88%", 2000-09-25 , - , Win , align=left, Georgiy Saldadze , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 4–0 , style="font-size:88%", 2000-09-25 , - , Win , align=left,

Mihály Deák-Bárdos Mihály Deák-Bárdos (born 30 January 1975) is a Hungarian amateur Greco-Roman wrestler, who played for the men's super heavyweight category. He is a four-time Olympian, and a six-time medalist at the European Championships. Deák-Bárdos had ...

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 3–0 , style="font-size:88%", 2000-09-25 , - , Win , align=left,

Sergei Mureiko Sergei Mureiko (born 2 July 1970) is a retired heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler, who until 1996 represented Moldova and then Bulgaria. He competed in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won a bronze medal in 1996. Between 1993 and 2004 he won 1 ...

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 3–0 , style="font-size:88%", 2000-09-25 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , align=left, Héctor Milián , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 3–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1999-09-23 , rowspan=6 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

1999 World Wrestling Championships The following is the final results of the 1999 World Wrestling Championships. Men's Freestyle competition were held in Ankara, Turkey. Men's Greco-Roman competition were held in Athens, Greece and Women's competition were held in Boden, Sweden. ...

, rowspan=6 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

, - , Win , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 0–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1999-09-23 , - , Win , align=left, Georgiy Saldadze , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 3–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1999-09-23 , - , Win , align=left, Eddy Bengtsson , style="font-size:88%", Tech Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1999-09-23 , - , Win , align=left, Giuseppe Giunta , style="font-size:88%", Tech Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1999-09-23 , - , Win , align=left, Mindaugas Mizgaitis , style="font-size:88%", Tech Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1999-09-23 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , align=left, Matt Ghaffari , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 8–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1998-08-27 , rowspan=4 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

1998 World Wrestling Championships The following is the final results of the 1998 World Wrestling Championships. Men's Freestyle competition were held in Tehran, Iran. Men's Greco-Roman competition were held in Gävle, Sweden and Women's competition were held in Poznań, Poland. Me ...

, rowspan=4 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

Gävle Gävle () is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 77,586 inhabitants in 2020, which makes it the 13th most populated city in Sweden. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland (Swed ...

, - , Win , align=left, Georgiy Saldadze , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 4–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1998-08-27 , - , Win , align=left, Yuri Evseichik , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 8–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1998-08-27 , - , Win , align=left, Juha Ahokas , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1998-08-27 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 11–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1997-09-10 , rowspan=4 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

1997 World Wrestling Championships The following is the final results of the 1997 World Wrestling Championships. Men's Freestyle competition were held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Men's Greco-Roman competition were held in Wrocław, Poland and Women's competition were held in Clermont ...

, rowspan=4 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%", Wroclaw , - , Win , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 6–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1997-09-10 , - , Win , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 2–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1997-09-10 , - , Win , align=left, Young-Jin Yang , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 6–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1997-09-10 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , align=left, Matt Ghaffari , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 1–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1996-07-22 , rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

1996 Olympic Games The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

, rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

, - , Win , align=left, Panagiotis Poikilidis , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1996-07-21 , - , Win , align=left, Juha Ahokas , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1996-07-21 , - , Win , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 2–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1996-07-21 , - , Win , align=left, Omrane Ayari , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 10–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1996-07-21 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , align=left, Tomas Johansson , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1992-07-29 , rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%", 1992 Olympic Games , rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

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, - , Win , align=left, Ioan Grigoraş , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1992-07-27 , - , Win , align=left, Juha Ahokas , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 8–1 , style="font-size:88%", 1992-07-27 , - , Win , align=left, Cándido Mesa , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1992-07-27 , - , Win , align=left, Andy Borodow , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1992-07-27 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , align=left, László Klauz , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 7–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1989-08-26 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

1989 World Wrestling Championships The 1989 World Wrestling Championships were held in Martigny Martigny (; german: Martinach, ; la, Octodurum) is the capital city of the district of Martigny, canton of Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is app ...

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Martigny Martigny (; german: Martinach, ; la, Octodurum) is the capital city of the district of Martigny, canton of Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 15000 inhabitants (''Martignerains'' or "Octoduriens ...

, - , Win , align=left, Craig Pittman , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", 3:16 , style="font-size:88%", 1989-08-24 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , align=left, Rangel Gerovski , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 5–3 , style="font-size:88%", 1988-09-22 , rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

1988 Olympic Games 1988 Olympics refers to both: *The 1988 Winter Olympics, which were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada *The 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1 ...

, rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

, - , Win , align=left, Duane Koslowski , style="font-size:88%", Tech Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1988-09-20 , - , Win , align=left, Alexander Neumüller , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1988-09-20 , - , Win , align=left, László Klauz , style="font-size:88%", Passivity , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1988-09-20 , - , Win , align=left, Tomas Johansson , style="font-size:88%", Decision , style="font-size:88%", 5–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1988-09-20 , - ! style=background:white colspan=7 , , - , Win , align=left, Jeff Blatnick , style="font-size:88%", DQ , style="font-size:88%", 13–0 , style="font-size:88%", 1987-10-15 , rowspan=4 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%", 1987 Wrestling World Cup , rowspan=4 style="text-align:center; font-size:88%",

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, - , Win , align=left, , style="font-size:88%", Walkover , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1987-10-15 , - , Win , align=left, Juan Poulot , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", 1:26 , style="font-size:88%", 1987-10-14 , - , Win , align=left, Kenichi Mikosawa , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", , style="font-size:88%", 1987-10-14

Mixed martial arts

On 21 February 1999 Karelin defeated

Akira Maeda (born Go Il-myeong ( Hangul: 고일명, Hanja: 高日明), January 24, 1959) is a Japanese mixed martial arts promoter, writer and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist of Korean descent. Maeda was also known by the ring ...

in a

shoot wrestling Shoot wrestling is a combat sport that originated in Japan's professional wrestling circuit of the 1970s. Professional wrestlers of that era attempted to use more realistic or even "full contact" moves in their matches to increase their exciteme ...

contest put on by

RINGS Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

that drew a gate of over $1 million. The match gained widespread media coverage, including mentions in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and ''

''. The match took place in the Maeda-owned professional wrestling organization ''RINGS''. Though widely considered to have been a

shoot In botany, a plant shoot consists of any plant stem together with its appendages, leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop. In the sp ...

style wrestling contest, the match is counted as an official mixed martial arts (MMA) match in

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

's record database. , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 ,

, Decision (Unanimous) , Rings: Final Capture , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Japan ,

Political career

Between 1995 and 1999 Karelin served with the Russian tax police and retired in the rank of colonel. Upon invitation from

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

, in 1999 he began his political career. He joined the

United Russia United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Conservatism in Russia, Russian conservative List of political parties in Russia, political party. As the largest party in Russia, it hold ...

party and was elected to the

as a representative of

Novosibirsk Oblast Novosibirsk Oblast (russian: Новосиби́рская о́бласть, ''Novosibirskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in southwestern Siberia. Its administrative and economic center is the city of Novosibir ...

in 1999 and 2003. In 2007 he was elected to the Duma as a representative of

Stavropol Krai Stavropol Krai (russian: Ставропо́льский край, r=Stavropolsky kray, p=stəvrɐˈpolʲskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia. It is geographically located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia, and i ...

. He was a member of Duma's committee on international affairs. In 2017, he entered the

PutinTeam PutinTeam is a social movement announced in 2017 by NHL player Alexander Ovechkin to support Russian President Vladimir Putin and his 2018 Russian Presidential campaign. Ovechkin has a personal relationship with Putin. Ovechkin has a personal pho ...

, 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

. He took up the post on 25 September 2020, and is a member of the council's committee on International Affairs.

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 An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

(MVD USSR) and the Saint Petersburg University of MVD USSR. In 1998 he defended a PhD and in 2002 a

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including ...

in sport-related

pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

; he also holds a degree in law. His PhD is titled: "Methods of execution of

suplex A suplex is an offensive move used in sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and bridging or rolling to slam them on their backs. Professional wrestling featu ...

throw counters" (russian: Методика проведения контрприемов от бросков прогибом), and "Integral training system for top-level wrestlers" (russian: Система интегральной подготовки высококвалифицированных борцов). Karelin's father was a truck driver and an amateur boxer. Karelin is married to Olga, they have two sons, Denis and Ivan, and one daughter, Vasilisa. Denis (born c. 1986) tried wrestling, but changed it for car racing. Ivan (born 1994) is coached by Kuznetsov and competes in the Greco-Roman superheavyweight division. Vasilisa (born c. 1999) is a

rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coord ...

. Karelin is an Orthodox Christian. While serving in the

Internal Troops The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD) (russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviat ...

, he competed in

sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , olymp ...

, and became a sambo champion.

Legacy and awards

Karelin was named as the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of the 20th century by the

International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

(FILA) and one of the class of ten inaugural inductees into the FILA

International Wrestling Hall of Fame The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame for amateur wrestling, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2010, it began operating the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. History The museum was awarded to Stillw ...

in 2003. He was also included in the 25 best world athletes of the 20th century.Karelin, Alexander Alexandrovich
. Karelin.ru. Since 1992, an annual wrestling competition is held in

Novosibirsk Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the 2021 Censu ...

in his honor. Karelin was named a

Hero of the Russian Federation Hero of the Russian Federation (russian: Герой Российской Федерации, Geroy Rossiyskoy Federatsii), also unofficially Hero of Russia (russian: link=no, Герой России, Geroy Rossii), is the highest honorary title ...

in 1997 and awarded the

Order of Friendship of Peoples The Order of Friendship of Peoples (russian: oрден Дружбы народов, translit=orden Druzhby narodov) was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military unit ...

(1989), Order of Honour (2001) and Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" IV class (2008). He was awarded the Serbian

Order of Saint Sava The Royal Order of St. Sava is an Order of merit, first awarded by the Kingdom of Serbia in 1883 and later by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was awarded to nationals and foreigners for meritorious ach ...

. In 2017, he was awarded the Order "For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan". He was also named a

Merited Master of Sports of the USSR Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR (russian: Единая Всесоюзная спортивная классификация) is a document which provided general Soviet physical education system requirements for both athletes an ...

(1988). He is a hidden playable character in the Japan-only,

AKI Corporation , formerly AKI Corporation and The Man Breeze, is an independent video game development studio located in Kichijōji, Tokyo, Japan, founded on June 19, 1995. The company is best known for its popular wrestling games in the late 1990s and early-m ...

-created,

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...

video game: Virtual Pro Wrestling 2.

Notes

References

External links

Official personal web-site
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Karelin, Aleksandr 1967 births Living people Sportspeople from Novosibirsk Soviet male sport wrestlers Russian male sport wrestlers Olympic wrestlers of Russia Olympic wrestlers of the Unified Team Olympic wrestlers of the Soviet Union Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic gold medalists for the Unified Team Wrestlers at the 1988 Summer Olympics Wrestlers at the 1992 Summer Olympics Wrestlers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Wrestlers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Russia Olympic silver medalists for Russia Olympic medalists in wrestling Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics World Wrestling Championships medalists Russian sportsperson-politicians Heroes of the Russian Federation Recipients of the Order of St. Sava United Russia politicians 21st-century Russian politicians European Wrestling Championships medalists Third convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Fourth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Fifth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Sixth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Seventh convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Members of the Federation Council of Russia (after 2000) Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR Russian sambo practitioners