ROME, Italy - Two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald will take aim at qualifying the United States for the 2008 Olympics during Greco-Roman Olympic Qualifying Tournament No. 1 on Saturday in Rome.

Gruenwald has received his draw for Saturday's competition at 60 kg/132 lbs. He is scheduled to face Vitali Rahimov of Azerbaijan in the first round. Rahimov was a 2004 Olympian and has made the last three World Teams for Azerbaijan. His highest finish in any of those major events was 13th in the 2006 Worlds. He won the European Championships in 2005.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class from the event in Rome, the first of two Greco-Roman qualifiers, will qualify their countries for the 2008 Olympics on Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China. The second and final Olympic qualifier for Greco-Roman is scheduled for May 24-25 in Serbia.

Five-time World Team member T.C. Dantzler is scheduled to compete on Sunday at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Gruenwald (Marquette, Mich./Sunkist Kids) made U.S. Olympic Teams in 2000 and 2004. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) has made the last five U.S. World Teams in Greco-Roman wrestling. He placed fifth at the 2006 World Championships.

If Gruenwald wins his first match on Saturday, he could face 2005 Junior World champion Davor Stefanek of Serbia in the second round. Stefanek placed ninth at the 2007 World Championships and third at the 2008 European Championships.

Also on Gruenwald's side of the bracket is past Junior World champion Hamid Bavafa of Iran. Bavafa placed second at the 2007 Asian Championships. China's Jiang Sheng, 11th at the 2007 World Championships, also is on that side of the bracket. Denmark's Hakan Nyblom, a 2004 Olympian, is on Gruenwald's side as well. Nyblom placed third at the 2008 European Championships.

There are 28 wrestlers entered in Rome at 60 kg/132 lbs.

The U.S. Greco-Roman team, which won the team title at the 2007 World Championships, has qualified the other five Greco-Roman weight classes for the Olympics.

Gruenwald and Dantzler, both 37, were among the champions at the U.S. Nationals on April 25 in Las Vegas.

Gruenwald retired shortly after the 2004 Olympics, but returned to the mat last fall. He placed second at the Sunkist Kids International Open last October to 2007 World Team member Joe Betterman, but Gruenwald rebounded to beat Betterman in the finals of the U.S. Nationals.

No country has qualified more than five weight classes for the Olympics in Greco-Roman. In addition to the United States, Russia, Cuba and South Korea have qualified in five divisions. Every other country has four or fewer classes qualified for Beijing.

The U.S. has qualified 14 of 18 weight classes overall for the Olympics. The U.S. has qualified 5-of-7 classes in Greco-Roman, 6-of-7 classes in freestyle and 3-of-4 classes in women's freestyle. Two qualifiers remain in women's freestyle.