NEW YORK (Feb. 16, 2001) - The 2001 World Championships for Wrestling - the largest and most prestigious wrestling event in the world this year - will be held at New York's famed Madison Square Garden, Sept. 26-29.     The four-day event, which will boast over 600 competitors representing approximately 50 countries, will feature both male and female freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.  Countries with strong wrestling teams who are expected to participate in the event include the United States, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Ukraine, Korea and many others.      "This is an exciting opportunity for the city of New York to host one of the world's premiere amateur athletic events," said Dan Doctoroff, President of the NYC2012 Olympic bid committee. "This is an event that has been held in the United States just once in the last 20 years (1995 in Atlanta), and we expect the largest attended international wrestling event in U.S. history. We are very excited to play host to the top amateur wrestlers in the world."    Said Rulon Gardner, who stunned the world by defeating seemingly invincible Russian Alexander Kareline for the Greco-Roman super-heavyweight Olympic gold medal last summer:  "I'm currently training very hard, with an eye at competing at the Worlds. This is a chance any wrestler would love.  To compete against the world's best in a place like Madison Square Garden - this is what you dream about as a wrestler."    Tickets for the event go on sale Feb. 23, with single session ticket prices starting as low as $10. All-session passes are priced as low as $99 for the eight total sessions, with family packages (four all session passes) starting at just $308. Tickets can be purchased by dialing TicketMaster at 1-866-NYC-2001 or 212-307-7171.    "The best tickets for this event will go fast," said Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling.  "The volume of calls to our office regarding this event has been tremendous. We've advised everyone who has called to order tickets early to ensure the best possible seats."    Discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more.  Special hotel rates are also being arranged for fans traveling from out-of-town.     In addition to the discounted tickets, the ticket plan in also highlighted by a special all-session Gold Pass, which allows the ticket holder unprecedented access to an event of this type. The Gold Pass guarantees all session premiere seating (first six rows in the center of the arena), invitations to official parties, VIP credentials, admission to VIP Hospitality areas at Madison Square Garden, the ticket holderíss name on his or her seat at Madison Square Garden for the event, and a World Championships Gift Pack.    "This is an event that the New York wrestling community has waited a long time for," said Setrak Agonian, President of the Metropolitan Wrestling Association (MWA). "To have the World Championships here is a lifetime dream of most MWA members. We will work tirelessly in association with USA Wrestling and NYC2012 to ensure this event's success."    For more information on the World Championships, check out the event's homepage on TheMat.com (http://www.themat.com).    Ticketed Session Starting Times & Descriptions    Regular Sessions  Wed. Morning , 9 AM, Greco-Roman*  Wed. Evening, 5 PM, Freestyle  Thurs. Morning, 10 AM, Greco-Roman  Thurs. Evening, 6 PM, Freestyle  Fri. Morning/Aft., 10 AM, Greco-Roman/Freestyle    Medal Round Sessions  Friday Evening, 8 PM, Bronze Matches, Greco-Roman  and Freestyle  Sat. Morning/Aft., 10 AM , Gold Matches, Greco-Roman and Freestyle  Sat. Evening, 4 PM, Gold Matches, Greco-Roman and Freestyle    * Women's matches will be held at an outside venue (TBA) on Monday and Tuesday. Women's finals will be on Wednesday at 2pm at Madison Square Garden as part of the Wednesday morning session. Anyone with a ticket to any session at Madison Square Garden gets in free to the women's matches at the outside venue.