Word: atlantae
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...just what--besides massive size--makes him virtually invincible on the mat? First and foremost, says Mitch Hull, national teams director for U.S. wrestling, "he's maybe inhumanly strong." American wrestler Matt Ghaffari, 38, who has spent his career trying to defeat Karelin, can unhappily vouch for that. In Atlanta the 6-ft. 4-in., 286-lb. Ghaffari wept in frustration on the silver-medal stand after he extended Karelin into overtime, but still lost. "I wrestled my heart and soul out," he says. His performance was so moving that he is now sought as a motivational speaker...
Triple gold medalist Fu Mingxia doesn't expect anyone to remember her. Sure, China's mop-haired diving diva was the youngest gold medalist in Barcelona, at 13, and a double winner in Atlanta. But when she ducked out of the limelight at 18, her whispery voice citing mental exhaustion, the former child prodigy figured her glory days were done. Even today as she trains for Sydney, Fu downplays her talents. "I'm old and a little fat now," jokes the 22-year-old. "I'm yesterday's news...
Until next week, anyway. Despite her doubts, beating the waif who enchanted Barcelona and dazzled Atlanta represents a high degree of difficulty. Fu's jumping-bean antics have matured into an aquatic elegance that could raise this veteran above a crop of agile young rivals, some of whom perform the scary dives that were once her exclusive domain...
...state salary is meager--$120 a month--although she has signed an endorsement deal with Nike. If Fu wins gold at Sydney, she could net an estimated $60,000 in rewards. But Fu insists that money isn't what's motivating her. "When I won in Barcelona and Atlanta, I was a child and it was too easy," she says. "But if I win at Sydney, it will be a medal I have earned all by myself...
...lunges to glory swathed in a get-up resembling a bee-keeper's outfit, French fencer Laura Flessel-Colovic has had no problem establishing herself as one of France's most chic and photogenic sports personalities. Since first grabbing attention with a pair of gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, she has wowed sports fans with graceful and tenacious swordswomanship, adding three world championship titles to a list of international laurels. Away from her foils, the stunning 28-year-old has enhanced her celebrity status with flourishes of wit and charm that have made her a star with...