Biography of Alexander Karelin
Alexander Alexandrovich Karelin is an outstanding Russian wrestler, three-time winner of the Olympic Games, State Duma deputy, Hero of Russia.
Karelin Alexander Alexandrovich
The legendary athlete had unique physical characteristics and an unbending character. He was awarded the Golden Belt prize in martial arts four times, won the tournament in memory of Alexander Poddubny 5 times, and was the winner of the Absolute World Champion Cup. During his life in sports, he suffered only 2 defeats, but had 887 victorious battles on the mat.
Childhood and youth of Alexander Karelin
The future super champion was born in Novosibirsk on September 19, 1967 and weighed five and a half kilograms. His father, Alexander Ivanovich, a dump truck driver, an amateur boxer, and his mother, Zinaida Ivanovna, an employee, were of large build. Since childhood, their son was tall and tall, beyond his years.
Alexander Karelin has been a sporty boy since childhood
He was captivated by sports at about the age of 13; even then he was head and shoulders taller than his father. Viktor Kuznetsov, who later became his permanent coach, saw Sasha and his friends on the street and suggested they go to the hall of the Burevestnik sports society. The professional apparently appreciated the teenager’s promise - his height was then 178 centimeters and his weight was 78 kilograms.
The parents were not too pleased with their son’s hobby, which was dangerous for injuries. It is known that when, at the age of 15, on March 8, during the regional championship, he broke his leg, his mother even burned his uniform and forbade him to attend training. But he continued his studies, although subsequently he broke both his ribs and his arms more than once.
Alexander Karelin's height is 193 cm
At the age of 17 he achieved the title of Master of Sports of the USSR, at 18 - world champion among youth, master of sports of international class.
In 1985, the young man graduated from a motor transport technical school in his hometown, served in the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and entered the Omsk Institute of Physical Education. The following year he was included in the national team.
Childhood and youth
The future champion was born on September 19, 1967 in the capital of Siberia, Novosibirsk. Initially, he weighed more than five kilograms, and 13 years later he was already 15-20 centimeters taller than his father, Alexander Ivanovich Karelin, who was an amateur boxer and worked as a driver. The boy’s mother, Zinaida Ivanovna Karelina, worked in the public service.
Since childhood, Alexander Karelin used his physical abilities for their intended purpose - he played hockey and swimming. It was all rather at an amateur level, but despite this it bore fruit and changed the guy’s life forever. Karelin playing hockey on the street was noticed by a young man, Viktor Mikhailovich Kuznetsov. There were a lot of strong guys there, but he approached Alexander, which is not surprising, because at the age of 13 he was 178 cm tall and weighed 78 kg. Viktor Kuznetsov invited the guy to the gym of the Burevestnik society and subsequently became his first and last coach in his sports career.
Karelin began to regularly “disappear” in the gym, training almost daily and at a serious level, which is known for serious injuries. At the age of 15, while performing at a regional tournament, he broke his leg. This happened on the eve of March 8, as a result of which the upset mother of the future champion burned his sports uniform and forbade him to continue attending wrestling training. This did not have the intended effect, and Karelin continued wrestling, although in the future he repeatedly broke other parts of his body, but, as is known in big sports, there is no way without it.
At the age of 17, Alexander fulfilled all the requirements for the title of MS, and after a year he won the world youth wrestling championship and was awarded the title of MSMK. Having completed his studies at the Novosibirsk Motor Transport College, the 22-year-old athlete began studying at the institute at the Faculty of Physical Education, located in Omsk, and was also included in the Soviet national team.
Sports career of Alexander Karelin
In 1987, the wrestler became the first at the European Championship, and subsequently he won the title of European champion 11 more times, and suffered his first defeat, losing to Igor Rostotsky in the final of the USSR Championship. But he won the very next fight with this high-class wrestler, despite the fact that he was injured before the start of the fight.
Alexander Karelin won his first serious victory at the Olympics in 1988
In 1988, he participated in the Olympic Games for the first time and immediately became a winner. His weight then was 112 kilograms. Losing to the Bulgarian athlete Rangel Gerovski after the first period, he nevertheless snatched victory literally 15 seconds before the end of the fight, using a special “reverse belt” technique, which none of the fighters competing in the heavyweight division could repeat.
The 1992 Olympics, held in Barcelona, Spain, brought the Russian athlete another gold medal. In the final exciting fight, he defeated Thomas Johansson, a multiple Swedish champion, within 2 minutes.
Alexander Karelin is a three-time Olympic champion. The wrestler brought home the third highest Olympic award four years later from Atlanta, America, defeating local athlete Matt Ghaffari in a duel.
In the period 1989-1999. Alexander became first at the World Championships 9 times. At the beginning of 1999, he fought in a fight according to the rules of mixed martial arts for the only time in his entire sports life. With the help of his signature throw, he was able to defeat the Japanese wrestler Akira Maeda in this fight.
Alexander Karelin. Best moments At the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000, our outstanding wrestler took silver, losing for the second time in his career in a fight with the American Rulon Gardner. At the end of the Olympics, the “Russian terminator,” as he was called in the media, announced the end of his sports career.
Sports career of Alexander Alexandrovich Karelin
In 1987, the international champion became the first at the European Championship, and after that he achieved the European champion title 11 more times and even had his first defeat; in the final of the USSR champion, he lost first place to his rival, Igor Rostotsky. But, going into a duel with a first-class fighter, he won the fight, even though he was injured before the start of the fight. As he himself commented: “I held out until the last, but I won.” The first serious victory of an international champion took place in 1988 at the Olympics. Then, for the first time, he took part in the Olympic Games and immediately became their winner. Then his weight was 112 kilograms.
Alexander Alexandrovich Karelin - Honored Master of Sports of the USSR
Then he lost to a first-class athlete from Bulgaria - Rangel Gerovski after the first period. But he did not stop believing in his strength, and snatched such a desired victory, almost 15 seconds before the end of the fight. He used a special technique to defeat the enemy - the “reverse belt”. This “super move” was difficult for him, but he did it successfully. After him, many tried to repeat this technique, but none of the heavyweight wrestlers managed to repeat it successfully.
Champion
The 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, brought him the much coveted gold medal. In the fight for the new title, he managed to weaken his partner Thomas Johansson in two minutes. And there Johansson is a very famous, multiple Swedish champion.
Olympic champion
Alexander Alexandrovich Karelin became a three-time Olympic champion, and even then the parents realized that their son had taken the right step in his life, that he remained in sports. The champion brought his third gold medal from the Olympics four years later, when he defeated the American athlete Matt Ghaffari. In the period of ten years, 1988 – 1999, the wrestler won a gold medal at the World Championships 9 times. At the end of the 1990s, for the first time in his life he fought in a duel, but not according to the usual rules, but according to the rules of mixed martial arts. This has never happened before in his practice. And with his best and signature throw, he defeated Japanese martial arts guru Akira Maeda.
Karelin and Matt Ghaffari
But luck did not always smile in his direction; at the Olympic Games in 2000, which were held in Sydney, the wrestler won a silver medal. The champion lost for the second time in his sports career; his opponent was the American Rulon Gardner. When the sports days of the Olympics came to an end, Alexander Karelin announced in the media to the whole world that he was ending his sports career. The second defeat was very difficult for him.
Three-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Alexander Karelin
Alexander Karelin in politics
Since 1995, the athlete has worked in law enforcement agencies in the tax police service. He also managed, in parallel with his performances, to graduate from the Higher School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in his hometown. In 1998, at the Academy of Physical Education of the Northern capital, he defended his Ph.D. thesis on the topic of methods of conducting fights.
Alexander Karelin - State Duma deputy
In the fall of 1999, the titled wrestler became one of the leaders of the political movement “Unity” (unofficially, “Bear”). In December, he became a State Duma deputy, and was subsequently elected to the highest legislative body 3 more times.
Since 2001, the athlete graduated from the Faculty of Law of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and was elected a member of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party. In 2002, he defended his doctoral dissertation, also devoting it to a topic close to him, sports.
Political career of Alexander Karelin
Since 1995, the former athlete decided to work by profession, and he had a position in law enforcement in the tax police service. Also, in parallel with the battles, he graduated from a higher educational institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in his hometown. After finishing his sports career, Karelin seriously took up the professions that he received before the championship titles. At the end of the 90s, namely in 1998, at the St. Petersburg Academy of Physical Education and Sports, he became a candidate of science, thanks to an excellently defended master's thesis on the topic, which is devoted to the methodology of conducting combat fights.
Alexander Karelin
In the fall of 1999, the former World Champion became one of the political leaders of the Unity movement. And at the very end of the 90s, in December 1999, he became a political figure in the Russian Federation. Alexander Karelin became a deputy of the State Duma, and after working for years in this post, he was elected three more times. Since 2001, the former wrestler graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the city of St. Petersburg. Also, Alexander Karelin was elected a member of the council of the United Russia party. And in 2002 he became a Doctor of Science. He defended his doctoral dissertation on sports topics.
Karelin - member of the council of the United Russia party
Personal life of Alexander Karelin
Karelin is married. He dedicated all his sporting achievements to his wife Olga, who gave him three children - two sons, Denis and Vanya, and daughter Vasilisa. Ivan followed in his father's footsteps and is interested in Greco-Roman wrestling. The daughter became a gymnast. Denis is the general director of the Goodman steakhouse.
Alexander Karelin with his wife Olga
The living legend of Russian sports and politician noted in an interview that for him an example of how to serve the country is Pyotr Stolypin. He keeps his quotation book in his Duma office.
Karelin considers Ivan Yarygin and Alexander Medved to be the best wrestlers in history.
The legendary wrestler loves hunting and cars. In 2011, he owned 7 cars and 3 motorcycles.
Personal life
Alexander met his wife Olga in his youth. The couple met at a bus stop, after which a conversation began between them.
In one of the interviews, Karelin admitted that Olga was not afraid of his frightening appearance since it was a bright summer evening outside.
Alexander Karelin with his wife
In this marriage, the couple had a girl, Vasilisa, and 2 boys, Denis and Ivan.
Behind Alexander’s serious, literally stony gaze, hides a very kind, wise and erudite person. The man is interested in the works of Dostoevsky, American and English literature.
In addition, Karelin sympathizes with Pyotr Stolypin, whose biography he knows almost by heart.
The athlete loves vehicles, being the owner of 7 cars, 2 ATVs and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Alexander Karelin today
The titled athlete took part in the opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
In October 2015, he participated in the international forum “Olympics-80: 35 years later”, held in his hometown, Novosibirsk. The athletes present at it, led by Karelin, adopted an appeal to the participants of the First World Olympians Forum, where the importance of the postulates of sport was especially emphasized, especially the slogan “Oh, sport, you are the world!”
Alexander Karelin at the Olympics in Sochi
The mentioned forum took place in Moscow with the participation of the head of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, Russian President Vladimir Putin, other officials and forty Olympic athletes.
The illustrious veteran, whose name is firmly entrenched in the history of world sports, has many state awards, and was officially among the 25 best world sports stars of the twentieth century (together with such outstanding athletes as the American professional boxer Muhammad Ali, the Brazilian football player Pele, the Soviet gymnast, 9-time Olympic champion Larisa Latynina).
