In the 2000 Olympics, unknown American heavyweight wrestler Rulon Gardner became an overnight sensation by defeating three-time gold medalist Aleksandr Karelin of Russia. Karelin had not lost a match in 13 years.

13 sure is a lot... but Henry Wittenberg came near. His lifetime record stands at over 400 wins and just four defeats, with 12 years (oh, so close!) coming between two of those losses.

Wittenberg tasted Olympic glory as well: he took gold in the freestyle light heavyweight in 1948, and came back with a silver four years later, only losing to a Swede named Viking (you can't make this stuff up!).

Amazingly, Wittenberg didn't even wrestle until he got to college. (If only he started earlier, he might have topped that 13!) Throughout his youth, he was a champion... chess player.

Now here's a true Jewish sporting hero!