Gardner wins gold, Lowney silver at the Pytlasinski Tournament in Poland
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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
07/17/2004
Rulon Gardner (Cascade, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won his first international gold medal in an overseas tournament since the 2001 World Championships on Saturday, capturing gold at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. at the Pytlasinski Tournament in Warsaw, Poland. Gardner, also a 2000 Olympic gold medalist, defeated 2002 World bronze medalist Yuri Patrikeev of Russia 2-0 in the gold-medal match. In the semifinals, Gardner downed Mirian Giorgadze of Georgia, a 2003 World Cup bronze medalist, 3-1. Also winning a medal was 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Garrett Lowney (Freedom, Wis./Minnesota Storm), who won a silver at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. In the gold-medal match, Lowney dropped a 4-0 decision to defending World Champion Martin Lidberg of Sweden. Also competing for a medal was 1996 Olympic silver medalist Dennis Hall (Plover, Wis./Sunkist Kids). Hall placed fourth at 60 kg/132 lbs., one weight class above his competition weight of 55 kg/121lbs. In the bronze-medal match, Hall lost 4-0 to Lucjan Kwit of Poland. In the semifinals, Hall lost 4-1 to eventual champion Jurij Kohl of Germany. Also placing for the U.S. were Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), seventh at 84 kg/185 lbs., and Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 10th at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. The Pytlasinski Tournament was the last competition for the 2004 U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic Team before the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Greco-Roman Olympic competition will be held August 24-26. Complete tournament results can be found at www.zapasy.org.pl/pytlasinski/Results/results.htm.