BAKU, Azerbaijan - If there is a person in the United States Greco-Roman program for our young athletes to model themselves after it is Brad Vering.

He trains hard, he trains smart, he's coachable, he's driven, he's intelligent, and he buys into everything our resident-athlete program at the U.S. Olympic Training Center program in Colorado Springs has to offer.

But before this year, Vering made three U.S. World Teams and one Olympic Team and fell short of winning a medal each time. But he never quit and never stopped chasing his dream.

He didn't quite win the color of medal he was looking for, but Vering still turned in a superb performance in winning a silver medal at the World Championships on Tuesday night at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex.

Vering dropped a 4-0, 4-0 finals match to Olympic champion Aleksey Mishin of Russia at 84 kg/185 lbs., but the Howells, Neb., native still wrestled the tournament of his life with a very strong effort to win a World silver medal.

"Ever since last year when I didn't make the World Team, I sat down with my coaches and knew I needed to make some changes or this was going to be a rough way to end my career," Vering said. "I've made some positive changes and started scoring a lot more points and getting stronger. I feel really good right now and I'm really excited about what is coming up next year with the Olympic year. I'm going to be ready for it."

According to TheMat.com's calculations, the U.S. stands fourth in the team standings with 23 points with one Greco-Roman weight class remaining at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Georgia leads with 28, followed by Iran with 26 and Korea with 24. Russia and Bulgaria are tied for fifth with 18 points apiece.

Vering was trying to become just the sixth World champion in U.S. Greco-Roman history.

"Brad wrestled extremely hard and extremely well," USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser said. "He was just on a mission in this tournament. He wrestled really hard for six straight matches against some great opponents. He wrestled his heart out."

Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) was competing in his fourth World Championships. He placed fifth at the Worlds in 2002 and 2003 before failing to place in 2005. He also qualified for the 2004 Olympics, but did not place. He finished third at the 2006 U.S. World Team Trials before coming back with a vengeance this year as he rolled to titles at the 2007 U.S. Nationals and U.S. World Team Trials.

"Not making the World Team last year, it was kind of a kick in the butt for Brad and he was very disappointed with it," Fraser said. "He refocused and dedicated everything to get to where he's at today. He's made a lot of improvements and he's really worked hard with our coaches to get better.

"I'm very proud of Brad, very proud. A silver medal in the Worlds is a great accomplishment. He's worked very hard and he's earned this. He's one of the hardest working guys I've coached, and one of the most driven and focused wrestlers I've ever coached. I'm especially proud of him because he's such a great leader for this team. He sets a great example for everybody to follow."

Momir Petkovic, USA Wrestling's Assistant National Coach, marveled at the progress Vering has made this season. Vering has worked hard to adapt to the Greco-Roman rules that were changed two years ago and has improved significantly in the par terre position down on the mat.

"I always knew since he came to the program that Brad was not going to leave this game without a World or Olympic medal," said Petkovic, a past Olympic champion for the former Yugoslavia. "Gold was really close this time and Brad was really close to becoming a World champion here. Hopefully, next year he will be one of our leaders for chasing that Olympic gold medal. He never, ever gives up at any time and that says everything about his character. He battled through some hard times and kept believing in himself, and it paid off for him in a big way today."

In the finals match with Mishin, the first minute of the match was scoreless. Vering was then caught in a reverse lift by Mishin on a three-point move. The first minute of the second period also was scoreless before Vering won the coin flip. Vering was unable to turn the powerful Russian in the first 30 seconds. Needing to avoid being turned to force a deciding third period, Vering popped to his feet off the whistle and nearly broke free before Mishin caught him with a front headlock. Mishin had the move locked up tight and was able to turn Vering to his back for three points.

Vering met Mishin for the first time.

"He caught me in the first period," Vering said. "He's a great lifter. I felt like on the feet he didn't feel real big or anything. He was just really quick on top and he got me up in the first period and scored. Second period, I took a chance and tried to get out and was real close to getting out. One more inch and I escape and it's a totally different match. But instead I ended up in one of the tightest front headlocks I've ever been in. He's very good and very dynamic, and knows how to wrestle. That's why he's won so many titles. But that's all right, I feel real good about this and I'm going to get that guy when it counts."

Vering nearly caught Mishin when the wrestlers were on their feet in the second period. Vering locked Mishin up tight in a bear hug and looked poised to launch his opponent, but was unable to execute the throw. It appeared Mishin may have hooked Vering's leg with an illegal maneuver as he tried to set up the throw.

"When Brad had the guy locked on his feet, I thought he had him in good position to throw him," Fraser said. "I was hoping he might try to throw it because it looked like he had it pretty good."

Vering, who just turned 30 last month, now shifts his focus to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He still has to earn a spot on the U.S. Team at next June's U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, but Vering looks like a guy who can definitely contend for a gold medal.

"Winning a silver medal here is a great steppingstone toward next year," Fraser said. "This should give him the confidence to realize he can win the Olympics next year and beat that Russian if he meets him again. He gave that guy a very good match and almost got away there at the end to send it into the third period."

Vering is excited about what winning a silver medal does for his chances in 2008.

"This is huge because it qualifies the weight class for the Olympics," he said. "The one big thing too is I felt like I did a lot for the team. Last year I felt like not being on the team I couldn't really help the team. Now this year, coming and making the finals and scoring a lot of points for our team, we still have a chance to win this thing. We have a real good team going into the Olympics."

Vering kept working for a medal despite some frustrations in recent trips to the biggest tournament of the year.

"I had been close to winning a medal a couple of times," he said. "But since the rules had changed I just didn't feel like I was at my best out there. Now that I've adjusted real well to the rules, I feel like I'm close to being at the top of my game now. I still think I have a little ways to go. Now I just need to go back and fix a few little things. I can see the light now and I feel real good about where I am right now."

U.S. wrestlers Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) were unable to finish in the top eight spots needed to qualify their weight classes for the Olympics. The U.S. has three more events where it can qualify for the Olympics in those weight classes.

The final Greco-Roman weight class will be contested Wednesday when past World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) takes the mat at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Byers won a World title in 2002.

The men's freestyle competition also opens with first-time World Team member Henry Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC) scheduled to wrestle for the U.S. Cejudo competes at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Zadick wrestles at 60 kg/132 lbs.