Greco-Roman Olympic Games session 4 quotes
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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
08/25/2004
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) What are you feeling right now? "I'm upset. I've always been a somewhat emotional guy - win or lose. I can't remember a time that I haven't gone out and cried after you have spilled this much into something. It kills you to lose. There's nothing I can do. I did my best out there." How would this loss compare to the pain you suffered when you were losing to Dennis Hall? "I think each loss is unique. They each have their own individual agony. The years of losing to Dennis were frustrating, but seemingly there was always a light at the end of the tunnel. I knew and believed I could beat him. And it happened. It took me 11 years, but it happened. I believe in my heart that I can win the Olympics. I didn't do it in 2000. Obviously I didn't do it this time. And I don't know yet if I have enough fire to go another four years." Did he bite you a couple of times? "Bad enough to cause a blood blister." Would you do anything different in the clinch if you could again? "I screwed up in the clinch. I should have just released it and gave up one and fought from there. But I tried fighting it too long." 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) How do you feel about winning the bronze? "For me, it's pretty surreal - the whole process of the Olympic Games. You train your whole life to get here, like in Sydney when I won to now when I'm third place. It's the while process of getting here and making it through the U.S. and then coming here, having to challenge the best wrestlers in the world. Over the last four years, the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling, no matter what weight class, has absolutely gotten stronger. It's a better sport. For me, to come back to win a medal like this, even though it's a bronze medal, I have no regrets because I gave 100 percent in every match." Can you talk about your decision to take off your shoes and leave them on the mat? "I truly started to understand what leaving your shoes on the mat meant when I saw Kevin Bracken leave his shoes on the mat. That inspired me to come back. That's when I defeated Dremiel Byers, the 2002 World champion. Seeing that, I told Steve Fraser what my plans were and he said 'ok, just do it with respect.'" "To leave them on the mat meant I left everything on the mat as a wrestler. I have nothing but great feelings towards any of my competitors." How much has your exposure helped your sport? "The exposure we got in Sydney was great. Hopefully this is a little bit more. It's not quite a gold medal, but it's a medal. Hopefully it shows what hard work, and even adversity, a person can go through to win a medal."