ACOG - News - IBM

(19 July 1996)

KARELIN Looking to Keep Streak Alive

Russian heavyweight Alexsandr KARELIN has never been defeated in international competition.

So is this week's Olympic Games just another pick-up tournament for KARELIN, who is to Greco-Roman wrestling what America's big man, Bruce BAUMGARTNER, is to freestyle wrestling?

The attention that comes from wrestling in the Olympic Games in the United States, and from the opportunity to face popular American Matt GHAFFARI, one of his chief world rivals at (130kg) on GHAFFARI's own soil, could vault the gentle giant not only to his third straight Olympic gold medal, but to the stardom in this country that has followed him throughout the rest of the world.

GHAFFARI, the 1995 World bronze medalist who now lives and trains in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a leading American medal hopeful. Co-captains Dennis HALL of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, the reigning World Champion at (57kg), and Rodney SMITH (68kg) of Fort Benning, Georgia, also have excellent shots for medals. SMITH was the Olympic bronze medalist at (68kg) in 1992.

The USA team, fourth in the 1995 World Championships, also will be helped by the numbers game. As the host nation, the United States is allowed to field a wrestler at each of the 10 weightclasses. Of the 37 foreign nations represented, only Bulgaria and Russia also have full 10-man squads.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Betty Posey



Olympic Factoid
Closing Ceremony of the 1996 Games involved a crew of 2,100 who worked with more than 3,500 performers as well as thousands of athletes who celebrated on the field of Olympic Stadium.