The 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, saw one of the biggest upsets in the history of the games.
In his journey to win a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling, American athlete Rulon Gardner was pitted against Russian Aleksandr Karelin, one of the most dominant athletes of any sport in history and possibly the greatest wrestler of all time. Karelin hadn't suffered a defeat in his 13 previous years of international competition and already had three Olympic gold medal under his belt. In fact, he had not given up a point in a match in some six years. The outcome of the contest was practically a foregone conclusion -- to everyone except Gardner anyway.
Gardner's strategy was to wear Karelin down and stay away from his lifts, which Karelin is known for employing even in his heavier weight class. Although Karelin was aggressive in the first three minutes of the match, having wrestled already twice that day, he grew tired, and Gardner seized the advantage to claim the win.
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