Rulon Gardner, a 2000 Olympic wrestling champion, entered this week’s U.S. Open, which would be the 51-year-old’s first competition in more than a decade.
Gardner is entered in the Greco-Roman heavyweight division, which means he must weigh in at 130kg (286 pounds) or less on Wednesday morning to be able to compete starting later Wednesday in Las Vegas.
A message was sent to Gardner seeking comment.
U.S. Open winners in each weight class advance to head-to-head matchups in June to determine the team for September’s world championships. The rest of the top seven in Gardner’s division advance to May’s world team trials, where the winner also advances to the June final to determine the world team spot.
Gardner hasn’t competed since a failed comeback bid for the 2012 Olympic Trials, when he tried to get under the weight limit but did not ultimately weigh in. Since, Gardner spoke multiple times about wanting to lose the weight necessary to compete again.
In 2020, he said, “I have well over 150 pounds more to lose,” according to The Associated Press.
In 2000, Gardner stunned Aleksandr Karelin in the Olympic Greco-Roman heavyweight final, handing the Russian his first loss in 13 years. It was dubbed “Miracle on the Mat.”
Gardner had many struggles since:
*In February 2002, driving a snowmobile off a hidden snow shelf into a frozen lake, getting stranded overnight in the wilderness for 17 hours in temperatures that were as low as 25 degrees below zero. The middle toe on his right foot had to be amputated due to frostbite. He came back to win Olympic bronze in 2004, leaving his shoes on the mat in the symbolic act of retirement.
*In February 2007, surviving a plane crash into a bay by swimming more than an hour in 44-degree water and spending the night without shelter.
*In 2010, going on “The Biggest Loser” at 474 pounds in a bid to lose more than 200 pounds to make weight for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials at age 40. He reportedly said he got down to 280. The Olympic heavyweight limit was 264.5 at the time.
*In 2012, filing for bankruptcy and losing his Olympic gold and bronze medals as a result. As of 2020, he recouped the medals, according to the AP.
In 2018, Gardner became head wrestling coach at Herriman High School in Utah. In recent months, he chronicled a return to wrestling training on social media.
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