IS 11 HOURS OF WRESTLING POSSIBLE?

Yes, the longest match in the history of modern wrestling took place during an official competition in Stockholm in 1912.

In the under 75kg Greco-Roman semi-final, Estonian Martin Klein and Finn Alfred Asikainen wrestled under the sun for 11 consecutive hours, taking a short break every 30 minutes. Klein won the match, but was unable to take part in the final scheduled for the following day.

The officials realised that rule changes needed to be made. Time limits were introduced for the first time in wrestling matches in 1924.

WHO IS "ALEXANDRE THE GREAT"?

Aleksandr Karelin, 1m91 and 129kg, is without doubt the best wrestler of all time.

An absolute legend in the sport, his record is almost unreal: 887 victories and just 2 defeats.

As a true physical monster, it's no surprise that the nicknames used to describe him are more than complimentary: "Russian bear, Russian King Kong, Alexander the Great, The Experiment".