Alexander Karelin is perhaps one of the most powerful people who ever lived. His gladiator opponents were so afraid of him that they refused to enter the ring with him. In fact, they did not even dare to approach him. Whoever fought him lost the swordsman and a part of his soul as well. But there is a lot hidden behind his fearsome appearance.
Alexander Karelin, former or later Soviet, Greco-Roman-Russian wrestler was considered the greatest wrestler of all time, if not the greatest athlete of all time. Perhaps there are many who do not agree with the second statement, but its results speak for themselves. He’s fought 889 fights in his career, and believe it or not, he’s only lost twice. Unbeaten for thirteen years, he has not lost a match point for six consecutive years. He won fights even when injured. In 1996, he won the European and Olympic gold with a torn pectoralis muscle. He ended his career after the 2000 Olympics, when he unexpectedly lost to an inferior opponent in the fight for the Olympic gold medal. This was only the second and final loss of his career.
After he was injured, his mother burned his wrestling shirt.
The laughingstock of teenagers and the target of drunks
He was involved in other sports as a child, but coaches soon realized that he could perform very well in wrestling with his physique. At the age of 13, he started working with her. In one of the interviews, he admitted that he did not respect himself before.
Wrestling helped him become more relaxed. Because of his appearance he was ridiculed several times. « Look at this guy, his legs, his ears. When old people look at me, they think I’m a criminal. I’m also very popular among drunks and others, because they wanted to compete with me and thus show their strength, » he explained to Sports Illustrated.
At the beginning of his career, he broke his leg in one competition. His mother, who was rushed to the hospital, was « crying and burning like only Russian mothers do. » « I burned my wrestling suit and insisted I quit. When I recovered, I felt like I couldn’t quit the sport I gave my legs to. »
It was not clear to his rivals where his strength came from, because he was invincible.
They thought it was a Russian doping experiment, but he quickly silenced them
In his international career, he has won 29 gold and 1 silver medal in the biggest competitions. Due to his massive appearance (height 190 cm, weight during his sports career was 130 kg) and dominance, doubts about his « purity » soon began to appear. Eastern countries, including Russia, have been notorious for using illegal steroids. During his career he won several titles. One of these was the « Russian Experiment ».
Alexander had an answer to all these accusations. He often went for the tests himself or said he could get tested whenever and wherever he wanted. He underwent many tests and all of them were negative. And if it’s not stimulants, what’s his recipe for this dominant dominance.
« I train every day like never before in their lives, » he declared. Over time, he closed the mouths of the skeptics, and they came to terms with the dominance of the Siberian husky. His opponents were only hoping that he wouldn’t harm them with his might, because they could feel every bone in their bodies resisting him.
« It’s totally normal. It’s normal to be jealous when someone is so successful. I went through all the official doping controls. Even when I didn’t have to, I signed up because no one believed me. »
Brutal training and bloody hands
He trains six times a week. He usually has a break on Wednesday. At that time, he really liked to play basketball with his colleagues, but according to special rules. Everything was allowed in ‘basketball’ except for shots. For the remaining six days, he ran across the Siberian forest terrain in deep snow. After running, he often went to a nearby lake, and sometimes rowed so hard and long that his palms were stained with blood. It was rumored that he was paddling even when the lake was almost frozen. Other than that, he spent a lot of time in the gym, lifting weights that ordinary athletes would not dare to do, let alone ordinary people.
But that was only the first half of the day. In the afternoon, it’s time for wrestling training. According to some, this was so difficult that his partners had to change because they could not stand the intensity of the training. At the same time, it must be said that Karelin did not eat sports food, but his strength and muscles were caused by traditional Russian food.
Carrying the refrigerator to the eighth floor was the hardest training
He was once asked which training was the hardest for him. He answered them that she was carrying the refrigerator to the eighth floor, to his apartment. He lived in a high-rise building that had no elevator, so he carried the heavy refrigerator down the stairs to the eighth floor by himself.
In his sports career, Karelin once tried himself in the MMA class. He fought against Akira Maeda, a master of martial arts. The Japanese were completely helpless as the Russians threw him around the cage like a doll. Many thought that he could succeed in this category, but he was not interested. He remained loyal to wrestling.
He can also see things from another perspective
Apparently, this power was naturally granted to him. The harsh Siberian climate, which gives people there more special strength, is said to have a lot of advantages. In Novosibirsk, where Karlin comes, winters are very harsh, and temperatures can drop to minus 35 degrees Celsius. For many, these are unfavorable circumstances, while the Russian wrestler viewed them completely differently.
« In Siberia, we have a different perspective, and winter is the most beautiful season for us. Red and happy faces. Children skating on ice or sledges. The whole city is under a blanket of snow, strewn with snow crystals that sparkle on sunny days. »
After he finished his career, he received his Ph.D.
Different from the typical Russian
There was much more to his « killer » appearance than just raw power and (very) strong dominance on the mats. In his competitive days, the average Russian was interested in vodka, women, and cards. But there is a lot to him. During his career, he read a lot and taught himself and eventually earned his Ph.D. He has a great sense of poetry, literature and music.
According to his colleagues, he was very good on the dance floor. « We were at a party and no one asked him to dance all evening. Finally the brave girl could. He was the best dancer. He knew music and his dance was graceful. Everyone was surprised. With his face you’d think that kids are scared, but wherever we went, he had kids around him Sometimes he had 15 of them around,” his coach explained.
Vladimir Putin invited him into politics, where he remains today.
Vladimir Putin invited him into politics
In 1999, at the invitation of Vladimir Putin, he began his political career. In the same year, he was elected to the Russian State Duma for the first time as a representative of the Novosibirsk government. In 2020, he was elected to the Senate of the Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk Region, and today he is a member of the Committee on International Affairs.
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