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Miracle on the mat Gardner talks about his stunning win
Rulon Gardner of the United States upset Russian legend Alexander Karelin in the super heavyweight division of Greco-Roman wrestling to win the Olympic gold medal. It was a victory that virtually no one expected and the loss snapped a 13-year string of victories for Karelin. CNNSI.com's Nick Charles talked with Gardner after his surprise win. Nick Charles: I'm with Rulon Gardner the man many will insist pulled the biggest upset in Olympic history. Did you? Rulon Gardner [Smiles] Oh, I....there's been a lot of upsets. I don't know if this rates up there with them. I feel this was a great match and to finally beat Alexander Karelin when he's never lost a match is just incredible. After all these years of watching him be on the top is just...makes me feel I guess, lucky to be the one who beats him. So if it goes down as one of the greatest victories, that's fine. Charles: You won the gold medal, but again you beat the man who couldn't be beaten. Even more significant then? Gardner: Oh, I think so. We were talking about it on the way back in that everybody looks at it as, "Oh, fine. If you beat somebody from one of these other countries it's not that big a deal." But you beat Karelin when there was a lot of people there tonight who were there to watch him win his fourth Olympic gold medal. And to watch me come out there and beat him, it really shattered a lot of people's expectations of what was going to happen. It didn't kind of surprise me too much. I knew if I went out and worked hard I could anything I wanted to. Charles: Heart of hearts though Rulon, going in you had known what this guy had done to you. Gardner: Oh, yeah. he's done his reverse lift, he's thrown me on my head three times and it's a little painful. Charles: A little? Gardner: You live with a little pain and you know what he has and then hopefully you can prepare and work everything in with your philosophy. And my philosophy was getting him tired and kind of, not beating him down, but just get him fatigued where he could be in a situation where I could maneuver him compared to having him using his strength and his physical being on me. If I get him tired enough, his muscle basically becomes jelly and that's when my muscle becomes just strength and my conditioning paid off. Charles: Now, they're playing the national anthem and Rulon Gardner up there on the gold medal stand looking down on Alexander Karelin. Take us there. Gardner: Oh, wow. That was interesting. All I could really think is that, I told him on the way up to get the medals, "You're the best ever. You're the one we all look up to. We want to be just like you." So to actually look down at him, it was a great victorious moment. But there was a little sadness too. So, hopefully, I guess he can come back and prove that he's great again. I don't know if I really want a rematch with him again. But if it happens, it happens. Charles: Rulon Gardner, keeping everything in perspective. And a gold medal to prove it. Congratulations. Gardner: Thank you. Charles: Thanks.
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