Pro wrestling legend Kurt Angle reflects on winning Olympic gold 20 years ago
Kurt Angle became an Olympic champion 20 years ago on July 31st, 1996, in Atlanta - stunning Abbas Jadidi in the gold medal final despite wrestling with a severely damaged neck. Angle fractured two cervical vertebrae prior to the Games at the Olympic Trials and continued to wrestle with multiple herniated discs, eventually beating Jadidi in a controversial match that ended in overtime.
In an illuminating interview with ESPN, Angle said that his triumph in Atlanta is still the highlight of his athletic career - and that he's desperately trying to recapture the feeling of winning a gold medal despite his long list of injuries.
Via ESPN:
Angle says that he's now taking a break from the full-time grind of wrestling - he's preparing to welcome his fifth child later this year - but says that he still feels that he's capable of putting on stellar matches in the future as rumors of a potential WWE return continue to swirl.
