Wladimir Klitschko

At-a-Glance

Won an Olympic gold medal in the super-heavyweight division in 1996.
Held multiple heavyweight world championships between 2000 and 2015, including unified titles.
Holds the record for the longest time spent as world heavyweight champion at 4,382 days.
Identified as a Founder.
A best-selling author.
Works as a lecturer.

Biography

Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. As an amateur, he represented Ukraine at the 1996 Olympics, winning a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division. After turning professional, he defeated Chris Byrd in 2000 to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title. Following early career setbacks, Klitschko hired trainer Emanuel Steward, who was credited with his transition to a more defensively-oriented boxing style.