Gaber Ibrahim, Karam

Born in Alexandria in a large family, where the father (trader) and all older brothers were also engaged in wrestling. He started wrestling at the age of 8 at the Nasr Youth Center in Alexandria, then he joined El-Olympi club . In 1995, he was noticed by the head coach of the national team of Egypt and was included in the national team of the country. ^[3]

In 1997, at the age of seventeen, he made his debut at the African Championships among adults and won the gold medal. In the same year, he won two “golds” of the Arab and Pan-Arab Games among adults and remained the third at the World Junior Championships. In 1998, he confirmed the title of champion of Africa in Greco-Roman wrestling and won the "bronze" of the African championship in freestyle wrestling. In the same year, he was again third in the World Junior Championships. In 1999, he won the African Games. In 2000, he was third in the Olympic qualifying tournament and again won the African Championship.

In 2001 he won the World Cup, won the Mediterranean Games and remained 14th at the World Championships. In 2002 he repeated his success at the World Cup, also won the African Championship and the Dave Schultz Memorial; at the world championships won the "silver". In 2002, being dissatisfied with the lack of recognition from the authorities, he left for the United States, where he was offered citizenship, wages, housing and conditions for training. However, the Egyptian authorities were able to return the fighter to the country: the Minister for Youth Affairs appointed a salary, the Minister for Oil Production promised a permanent position, the governor of Alexandria provided housing and conditions for training. ^[3]

In 2003 he again became the winner of the tournament in memory of Dave Schultz, the winner of the African Games and again became the vice-champion at the World Championships.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he fought in the category up to 96 kilograms ( heavyweight ). The participants of the tournament, numbering 22 people, were divided into seven groups, in each of which the struggle was conducted in a circular pattern. The winners in the groups reached the quarter-finals, where they struggled with a knockout system after a defeat. The losers took the places according to the qualifying and technical points received in the bouts. Karam Gaber significantly surpassed his rivals, having finished three of his five meetings ahead of time and became the champion of the Olympic Games.

The Greco-Roman wrestling ended with a fight-hit in the category up to 96 kg, which turns into any fight with the participation of the Egyptian Karam Ibrahim. This phenomenal athlete with the figure of a bodybuilder and the flexibility of a gymnast viewers adore. Firstly, he has a lot of spectacular techniques, and secondly - the manners of a real showman: Ibrahim sometimes has time to send air kisses to the stands right during the fight. All in all, a kind of Roy Jones fight . And after each of his victories, he necessarily does somersaults. After the final, in which he defeated Georgian Ramaz Nozadze ahead of time (the score was 12: 1 in favor of the Egyptian), Ibrahim made as many as two, apparently, as a sign of the special importance of success.

- http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/500906

After his bright victory at the Olympic Games, Karam Gaber received the highest acclaim. So, Eddie Goldman, a former wrestler and sports editor, said:

On December 31, 2004, he tried himself at MMA and in his only fight according to the rules of K-1 he was defeated by a knockout from Kajuiuki Fujita ^[5]

In 2005, he won the African Championships and the Mediterranean Games. In 2006, he won the African Championship, and was only 19th at the World Championships. In 2007 he again became the winner of the African Championship and the winner of the African Games. In 2008 he performed at two qualifying pre-Olympic tournaments, won one, and was the fifth in the other.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he fought in the category up to 96 kilograms ( heavyweight ). The tournament was attended by 20 people. The tournament was held on the system with retirement after the defeat with consolatory bouts. The wrestlers were divided into two groups, in the first group there were eight athletes who started the fight with the 1/8 final, in the second group twelve, of which four started the fight with the 1/8 final, and eight wrestlers held qualifying meetings for the right to get into / 8 finals. Those athletes who have not lost a single fight, went to the final, where they played the first and second place. The wrestlers who lost to the finalists began to fight in a consolation tournament, the results of which identified two bronze medalists, one in each group. In other words, the wrestler, having lost the bout in any round of the tournament, did not immediately drop out, but expected the results of the meeting of his winner in the next round. For example, a wrestler lost in 1/8, his winner went to the quarterfinal. If his winner in the quarter-finals lost, the wrestler would drop out immediately, and his winner would go to the consolation tournament. If the winner in the quarterfinal won again, the wrestler met in a comforting meeting with the loser in the quarter finals and so on. Fight by the rules consisted of three periods of two minutes; the winner in two periods won the meeting. Karam Gaber in 1/8, in a stubborn first meeting, lost, and since his opponent in 1/4 was defeated, the Egyptian wrestler dropped out of the tournament, finishing in 13th place.

Temporarily left the fight, but in 2010 he returned and went into a light heavyweight, motivating it by the fact that in this category one must possess more skills, talent and experience than physical strength. In 2011, he won the Arab Games. In 2012, he was 10th in the Dana Kolov and Nikola Petrov tournament, then he won the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament, won second place in the Mediterranean Championship, second place in the Trophee Milone tournament, third place in the Vladislav Pytlyansky tournament and second in the Grand Prix with Germany.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London fought in the category up to 84 kilograms. The tournament was attended by 20 people. The tournament rules and rules remained the same. Karam Gaber in intense battles managed to get to the final, where in two periods he lost to the Russian wrestler Alan Khugaev and stayed with the silver medal of the Olympic Games.

After the games, he left a great sport, from 2014 his contract with the largest American wrestling association WWE comes into force. ^[6]

Owns a trade business and a small factory for the production of women's clothing. He is married to a Belarusian, whom he met in Mogilev in 2002, lives in Alexandria. ^[7]

• Final OI 2004
• Semifinal OI-2004

• Karam Gaber Ibrahim - Olympic statistics on Sports-Reference.com (English)
• Karam Gaber Ibrahim - profile on the International Wrestling Database (English)