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Kurt Angle (Source-Instagram)
Kurt Angle had amazed the world when he won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1996 with a broken neck. A new video is making the rounds about how the former professional wrestling legend won the gold medal and the significance behind it.
One user by the name of Bellagiohenrold wrote, “In the first round of the 1996 USA Olympic trials, Kurt Angle suffered a severe neck injury, fracturing two cervical vertebrae, herniating two discs, and pulling four muscles. The doctor told him there was zero chance he could wrestle at the Olympics.”
The fan also wrote, “But Angle eventually found a doctor that would help him in wrestling, no matter the risk. He knew not resting or letting it heal could severely injure his neck further, but his only goal was to win Olympic Gold.”
This was when the entire story came to light, “He was also emotionally dealing with the tragic death of his coach, Dave Shultz, who was murdered on January 26, 1996. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, in the final match against Iranian wrestler Abbas Jadidi, Angle won by decision after a 1-1 draw, clinching the gold medal.”
The fan in question added ”Angle’s father passed away when he was 16, and he thought he saw him in the crowd after his win. He kneeled and prayed to his dad during his celebration, and praised his parents and late coach after his emotional victory”
Kurt Angle: Bonafide wrestling legend
Once he won the Olympic Gold in 1996, Kurt Angle had the transition to professional wrestling. Initially, he was set to sign for the ECW promotion but that didn’t go through. Kurt Angle then made his way to the World Wrestling Entertainment.
Kurt Angle was a highly successful wrestler during his stint with WWE, winning all the major titles. In 2006 he made his jump to Total Non-Stop Action and became a huge superstar in that company as well. In 2017, Kurt Angle returned to WWE and was named the Hall of Famer for that year.
After a handful of matches, Kurt Angle decided to retire due to his long-standing injuries. His final match was against Baron Corbin in WrestleMania where he lost and has since then made a handful of appearances for WWE in various capacities.