National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Brandon Slay shocked the world when he beat Russian superstar Bouvaisa Saitiev to advance to the 2000 Olympic finals. CLICK PLAY TO LISTEN TO OLYMPIC CHAMPION RULON GARDNER talk about exceeding expectations, the impact his coaches had on his success, and the pride of representing the red, white, and blue at the Games. 20 00 A record setting 202 nations participated in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games when they returned to their ancient roots in Athens, Greece. in the final battle. Cross, a fan favorite, dominated the entire field at 125.5 pounds, finally trouncing veteran standout Guivi Sissaouri of Canada on a three-point throw and a two-point tilt to win gold. At the University of Iowa, Tom Brands approached opponents with a fiery intensity that could be felt in every part of Carver- Hawkeye Arena. Competition in Atlanta was no different. To Tom, losing was so painful that it was unthinkable. Every fiber of his being was dedicated to earning an Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He thoroughly dominated the competition, surrendering only one point in five matches and dominating Jang Jae Sung of South Korea, 7-0, in the finals at 136.5 pounds. Kurt Angle won his gold medal in the heavyweight (220 pounds) weight class, defeating the Iranian Abbas Jadidi by officials' decision after the competitors wrestled to an eight minute, 1-1 draw. The bout saw Jadidi earn a point after two minutes and 46 seconds by turning Angle, and Angle earning a point with a takedown after three minutes and 11 seconds. Jadidi left the mat crying and Angle left as Olympic Champion. The win powered him to membership in the "Big Four," claiming championships at the Junior Nationals, NCAA, 1995 World and 1996 Olympic Games, becoming only the fourth U.S. wrestler to reach those heights. Although he didn't win the gold that he wanted in Atlanta, Bruce Baumgartner did win bronze, cementing his place in history as one of the most highly decorated and dominating wrestlers of the world. His 13 medals in either World or Olympic competition is the most of any wrestler in history, matched only by Russian Greco- Roman champion Alexander Karelin. Baumgartner's medal count includes two Olympic and three World Championship gold medals. He is one of just eight athletes in American history in any sport to medal in four different Olympiads. 2000 The 2000 Olympic Games, or the Games of the New Millennium, went "down under" to Sydney, Australia. A record 199 nations entered the stadium for the opening ceremonies, with a record 80 of them winning at least one medal. best finish was fifth in his only appearance in the World Championships. Gardner was impressive in his first four matches, wearing his opponents down and advancing to the finals where he would meet the fearsome Karelin. The two were tied 0-0 at the end of the first period, forcing a start in the "clinch" for the second period. The two men danced in the middle of the mat, arms around each other, hands clasped tightly together, each trying to break the other's hold. Unbelievably, it was Karelin who let go, giving Gardner a point and, a few moments later, the Olympic gold medal. The 29-year- old Gardner, who grew up on a dairy farm in Afton, Wyo., had done the impossible, scoring one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history. Brandon The Sydney Games featured the classic tale of David vs. Goliath. Goliath was sculpted and muscular Russian super heavyweight Alexander Karelin, undefeated in 13 years of international competition and striving to become wrestling's first four-time Olympic champion. David, by contrast, was a round but solid Rulon Gardner whose previous 12 | NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM THE GOLD STANDARD Pennsylvania, seemingly came out of nowhere in 2000. Seeded seventh at the U.S. Nationals, he won the title, then made the Olympic team at the Trials hosted in his native Texas. In Sydney, he shocked World and Olympic champion Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia to advance to the Olympic finals. Although he lost on the mat to Alexander Leipold of Germany, Slay was awarded the gold medal when Leipold tested positive for steroids. Slay received his gold medal live on the NBC Today Show in New York City. runner-up for the University Slay, an NCAA of GARDNER

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