Gold Medal at 2001 World Championships Greatest Accomplishment, Says Columnist
By Kyle Klingman “TWM Columnist
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Now that Rulon Gardner has retired from international wrestling competition he will be remembered by the general public in a certain way. If you ask the casual observer who Rulon Gardner is they might tell you about his historic upset over that Russian that nobody thought could be beaten. They might recall his snowmobile accident and his missing toe. Or, they might remember his swan song at the 2004 Olympics. How he came back from adversity to take a bronze medal then placed his shoes on the center of the mat to announce his retirement from wrestling.
Yes, it’s true; these are all things that we should remember Rulon Gardner for. His win over Alexander Karelin to win the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics was epic and his comeback after misfortune should provide inspiration to athletes for years to come. But the one thing that never gets brought up when the mainstream media discusses the legacy of Gardner is the gold medal he won at the 2001 world championships.
Following Gardner’s win at the Olympics my personal feeling was that it would be all downhill for the former Nebraska Cornhusker heavyweight. I mean how can follow up on a performance like that one? Okay, so his cartwheel and somersault after his win weren’t going to get him any tryouts on the gymnastics team but there was the always popular speaking circuit that he could turn to. All I wanted was for Rulon to retire, keeping his legacy intact.
Against my will, the Wyoming farm boy insisted on continuing to compete. In March of 2001 I thought it was all over. Gardner wrestled in his first tournament since the Olympics going 0-2 at the Hungary Grand Prix and placed 10th. At this point I was pleading: Please stop competing before you cause the United States any more embarrassment. You got your Gold medal. Just call it a day and we’ll talk about your upset in the same way we talk about the 1980 hockey team’s win over USSR.
But, like any great champion, Gardner didn’t quit.
“He got on this speaking circuit, and rightfully so, after the Olympics in Sydney and his training wasn’t up to par, “said Greco-Roman national team coach Steve Fraser. “He was speaking and making money and doing that kind of things which he should do. Reap some of the benefits. He didn’t make any money his whole life now he’s got a chance to do some things, see some famous people and go to some famous places. So he did that.”
“I was so glad he went in March to Hungary and wrestled,” Fraser continued. “I’m not happy he lost but let me tell you that that kicked him in the butt and he was a new man. He got refocused. We sat down and went over his schedule. He kept a speaking schedule here and there but we sent a training partner on the road with him. Over those next four or five months he became thirty percent better than he was in Sydney.”
Then, after beating Dremiel Byers to make the 2001 world team, Gardner proved why he one of wrestling’s great winners. When the reigning Olympic gold medalist went to the 2001 world championships in Greece he was a marked man. Gardner had beaten Russia’s golden boy (or beast) and revenge would soon be theirs.
After winning his first two matches by scores of 3-0, it was time for Gardner to face Youri Patrikeev in the quarterfinals, the wrestler Russia was confident would beat the American.
But, as has become his trademark, Gardner shocked the world.
“At the 2001 world championships he had the toughest draw of any weight class, “said Steve Fraser. “He wrestled, for sure, the top five heavyweights in the world. He drew every one of them. When he wrestled the Russian in the quarterfinals, let me tell you, the atmosphere in that place was electric. Those Russians were there giving (their wrestler) an edge because he beat their hero Alexander Karelin. Milan Ercegan (former FILA president) was there at the head table just like Caesar back in the day.
“I tell you what, Rulon got behind 3-0 and it was like all of a sudden with a minute and a half to go in that match something came over him and he said ‘I am not going to let this Russian beat me.’ He locked him up in a body lock. He almost threw him once, he almost threw him another time but he just stayed with his body lock and all of a sudden in a slow motion throw threw this Russian through the air, crashed him to the mat, and pinned his butt down. I’ll tell you what the place went wild. It was unbelievable. With a minute to go he pinned that Russian. ”
After defying the odds once again, Gardner continued his road to world gold. In the semifinals he notched another 3-0 victory over his Bulgarian opponent and then he was to meet Mihaly Deak Bardos of Hungary in the finals. Deak Bardos had shut out Gardner twice earlier in the year so Gardner came into the match with the familiar underdog moniker attached to his name.
In this match, it was Gardner who would force the action by scoring two points in a bout that went to overtime. After nine minutes of wrestling Rulon Gardner captured victory, a world title, and my utmost respect.
In retrospect, what Gardner did at the 2001 world championships was even more impressive than his win in Sydney. At Olympics he wasn’t expected to beat Karelin and went on to win gold. At the world championships he was the top dog and he proved to everyone in the world that he could win again, a much tougher role to play. Throw in the fact that guy he was beating out just to make the team (Dremiel Byers) wins the world championships the following year and you can officially call Rulon Gardner “The Man”.
Rulon Gardner: 2000 Olympic champion, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, the only man to beat Alexander Karelin in international competition, the master of overcoming adversity, and – most importantly – 2001 world champion.
Hey Rulon, my hat’s off to you.
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