Alexander Karelin began training in Greco-Roman wrestling at the age of 13 — then his height was 178 cm, weight 78 kg. He trained in his native Novosibirsk — in a section at the Electrical Engineering Institute. Karelin’s first coach, Viktor Kuznetsov, became his only mentor for his entire sports life.
![Young Karelin Young Karelin](http://southampton.top/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/e9cbdcf576c110cc99d7befe0b75207f_cropped_666x412.png)
Triumph in sports and Olympic victories
In 1988, despite a concussion and high temperature, Karelin became the USSR champion for the first time. He defeated the leader of the USSR national team, two-time world champion Igor Rostorotsky.
Karelin achieved incredible success in Greco-Roman wrestling:
- 3‑time Olympic champion
- 9‑time world champion
- 12-time European champion
- 13-time Russian champion
![](http://southampton.top/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/25663cfebd7b8b7c2167697678087fed_cropped_666x450.jpg)
At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Karelin defeated Matt Ghaffari in the final — after the defeat, the American cried. Not everyone knew, but Karelin went to the Olympics without fully recovering from a torn pectoralis major muscle. He received this injury in March 1996 at the European Championships in a fight with Dmitry Debelko.
Fight with a Japanese wrestler and career as a deputy
During his wrestling career, Karelin won more than 800 victories. He even fought with Japanese wrestler Akira Maeda — under mixed rules. It is believed that Karelin won without a single blow, and the legendary victory is surrounded by myths.
Many compare the fight between Karelin and Maeda with mixed martial arts, which were popularized later. But Karelin himself does not recognize MMA as a sport and is indignant that there you can finish off your opponent on the ground.
After finishing his career, Karelin became a deputy. He left an incredible mark on the sport — to this day, Alexander is considered one of the best wrestlers in history. And the example of a Russian hero — strong, restrained and well-mannered.
Just think about it, Karelin has foot size 51! At the beginning of his career, he traded wrestling shoes of his size from rivals from other countries. And I got my first pair when I joined the national team — and that was only the third time.