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Wrestling with Olympic success
Of the thousands of sportsmen who will arrive in Sydney in September, very few would consider themselves firm favorites. The one exception might be Russian wrestler Alexander Karelin. The most successful performer in the history of wrestling, Karelin won his first gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and has never lost a single international match since. This year in Sydney, he will attempt to win his fourth straight Olympic gold medal in the sport, something that has never before been achieved. But Karelin is cautious about predicting victory. "It is too early to say anything about that," Karelin warns. "One could talk about winning the medal with a certain degree of assurance only when the final whistle has blown and the referee has raised his hand in my favor. To discuss your chances before that is just not fair." A living legend in Russia, Karelin is well respected not just for his sporting achievements, but also for his tireless campaign aimed at bringing troubled youths off the streets and into the sports halls. He is also active in Russian politics, becoming a Unity Party leader and a confidant of Russia's newly elected President, Vladmir Putin.
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