Aleksandr Karelin

Greco-Roman wrestling legend and Russian senator · age 58

Aleksandr Karelin photo

life in chapters

7 milestones from birth to now, with Aleksandr's age at every one.

1960s

  1. Birth

    Born September 19, 1967

1980s

  1. age ~21 Award

    Wins first Olympic Greco-Roman gold in Seoul

    Olympic champion

    Karelin captured the super-heavyweight Greco-Roman title at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the first of three straight Olympic golds.

1990s

  1. age ~25 Award

    Second Olympic gold at Barcelona 1992

    Olympic champion

    Karelin won his second consecutive Olympic Greco-Roman super-heavyweight title at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

  2. age ~29 Award

    Third Olympic gold in Atlanta and named Hero of the Russian Federation

    Olympic champion

    Karelin won his third straight Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games and was honored as a Hero of the Russian Federation that year.

  3. age ~32 Career milestone

    Elected to Russia's State Duma

    Deputy

    Karelin entered federal politics as a State Duma deputy representing Novosibirsk Oblast, a role he held for two decades.

2000s

  1. age 33 Career milestone

    13-year unbeaten streak ends with silver in Sydney

    Olympic silver medalist

    American Rulon Gardner upset Karelin in the 2000 Sydney Olympic final, ending his long unbeaten run and prompting his retirement from wrestling.

2020s

  1. age 53 Career milestone

    Becomes Federation Council senator for Novosibirsk Oblast

    Senator

    In 2020 Karelin took his seat in Russia's Federation Council as a senator representing Novosibirsk Oblast.

age 58 now

Still going