Quotes from U.S. wrestlers Roberts and McMann and coach Scherr after bronze medal wins on Thursday

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
09/29/2005


59 kg/130 lbs. - Sally Roberts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)

"I am the eternal bronze medalist, darn it! Against Hungary, I had no idea what the score was. I tried to get as many points as I coud, but sometimes they gave it to her. I knew I was wrestling against a Hungarian in Hungary. I had to make it more clean. I get a step closer each year, but I haven't made it yet. I'm closer; I miss the top step to the finals. I'm not giving up until I get the gold. I want to win that at the Olympics. I have to talk to FILA about getting this weight class there."

"My quarterfinals match against the Italian was a dogfight. Fifteen minutes later, I had to wrestle the Hungarian superstar. I'm in condition. I lost my head a little. That had to do with me getting third place. I thought I would go bam, bam, bam. I need to do that in the finals. My match against Italy was at knotch 11. I had to stay at knotch 11."

"I'm pretty happy with it. I give this tournament everything I had. I pulled it out. I'm not mad. I have to work on little things. My list is long, but it's little things. My goal for next year is to go to as many international tournaments as I can. It's learning to wrestle only 15 minutes later that is hard."

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sara McMann, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)

"It is a quote from someone else, but it is my favorite. 'Winning does not develop our strength. Our struggles develop our strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.'"

U.S. Women's World Team Coach Bill Scherr

"We got a few medals today. It is better than nothing. I thought the two women who were bronze could have been gold. Things happen. They showed a lot of guts wrestling back and getting bronze. Sara could have packed it in but she fought back hard. She helped the team and helped herself. Sally was the same way. She's a fighter, no matter what. She lost a tough match, then came back to win a tough match. You could cut your head off and she'd still be wrestling you."

"I'm glad to get the bronzes, but we are not satisfied. We need two medals and we need a champion tomorrow. They are tough women and they want to win. We will see how it turns out."