NINE U.S. ATHLETES TO BATTLE FOR MEDALS AFTER STRONG EFFORT AT THE VETERANS WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN FREIBURG, GERMANY, AUGUST 5At least nine U.S. wrestlers have qualified for medal matches at the Ninth FILA Veterans World Freestyle Championships in Freiburg, Germany, after strong performances on Saturday, August 5.
The competition features athletes 35 years old and above in five age divisions. 35 men will represent the U.S. in Germany. The tournament which includes entries from nations around the world, will conclude on Sunday, August 6.
Competing for gold medals will be Dan Chaid of San Jose, Calif., Jim Nielson of Moses Lake, Wash., Russ Cozart of Brandon, Fla. and Glenn Clark, an American who currently lives in Flatrock, Newfoundland, Canada.
Competing for bronze medals will be Bradley Swartz of Auburn, Wash, Dale Porcher of Palm Beach, Fla., Paul Hermann of York, Pa. and Joe Seay of Perry, Okla.
One U.S. wrestler has clinched a gold medal, after winning all four of his matches in a five-athlete round-robin competition: Dwaine Burkholder of Woodland Park, Colo. He won two matches on Friday and two matches on Saturday at 127.75 pounds in Div. D (51-55 years). He will have no more matches in the round-robin, and although there are more bouts remaining for his competitors, he has clinched the title.
Two of the U.S. gold medal finalists have been previous World Champions. Cozart is a five-time Veterans World Champion, with titles in 1992, 1993, and 1997, 1998 and 1999. Clark was a 1998 Veterans World Champion.
Cozart will face Kvins Genusarijs of Latvia in the gold-medal match at 152 lbs./69 kg in Div. C (46-50 years). Clark will face Alexander Istomin of Uzbekistan in the gold-medal match at 187.25 lbs./85 kg in Div E (56 and older).
Chaid, a former U.S. Nationals champion and member of Freestyle Team USA, will battle Johannes Rossouw of South Africa in the gold-medal finals at 97 kg/213.75 lbs. in Div. A (35-39 years). Nielson will battle former World and Olympic medalist Andreas Schroeder of Germany at 286 lbs./130 kg in Div. A
The U.S. match-ups in bronze medal matches follow. Swartz will face Lakatos Gyozo of Hungary at 167.5 lbs./76 kg in Div. A, Porcher will battle Davoud Bani of Iran at 213.75 lbs./97 kg in Div. A, Hermann will test Izak Steyn of South Africa at 138.75 lbs./63 kg in Div. B and Seay has drawn Reinhard Zeiher of Germany at 167.5 lbs./76 kg in Div. E. Seay was the head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team.
One other U.S. wrestler still has a chance for a medal: three-time Veterans World championShirzad Ahmadi of Coventry, Conn. at 138 lbs./63 kg. in Div. D (51-55 years). He has a 2-1 record in his five-athlete round-robin competition, and still has one more match to determine the final placings. He will face Ognian Niklov Velikov of Bulgaria in his final match.
There are five age divisions at the 2000 World Championships: Div. A (35-40 years), Div. B (41-45 years), Div. C (46-50 years), Div. D (51-55 years) and Div. E (56 years and above). There are six weight classes within each division at the World Championships: 58 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 76 kg, 85 kg, and 130 kg. There is no prequalification required to participate in the Veterans World Championships.
The U.S. Veterans World Team is led and coached by 1992 Olympic Freestyle Champion Kevin Jackson of Colorado Springs, Colo. Jackson was the 1991 and 1995 Senior World Champion and claimed World Cup victories in 1993, 1995 and 1997. He works as USA Wrestling's Resident Freestyle Coach.
A webpage has been created with results of this tournament at http://home.t-online.de/home/KlausArmbruster/9_fila_masters_world_championshi.htm
2000 VETERANS WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS at Freiburg, Germany, Aug. 5
U.S. results from Friday, August 5
Div. A (35-40 years)
127.75 lbs./58 kg - Michael Dehart, Bradford, Ohio - lost by tech. fall to Mario Willomeit (Germany), 10-0
138.75 lbs./63 kg - Ronald Hughes, San Jose, Calif. - dec. Paul Michael Dunn (South Africa), 9-5; lost dec. to Alexander Nimguirov (Russia), 5-0
167.5 lbs./76 kg - Bradley Swartz, Auburn, Wash. - won by ref. dec. over Josef Schnoll (Austria), 2-1, ot; lost dec. to Lakataos Gyozo (Hungary), 6-1
167.5 lbs./76 kg - Kevius Hodges, Loxahatchee, Fla. - lost dec. to Ken Wharry (USA), 4-1
167.5 lbs./76 kg - Ken Wharry, Medford, Ore. - dec. Kevius Hodges (USA), 4-1
187.5 lbs./85 kg - Harry Porcher, Palm Beach, Fla. - pin Jorgen Lykholt (Denmark)
213.75 lbs./97 kg -Daniel Chaid, San Jose. Calif. - won by tech. fall over Johannes Stroebel (South Africa), 11-0; won by tech. fall over Dale Porcher (USA), 11-0
213.75 lbs./97 kg - Dale Porcher, Palm Beach, Fla. - dec. Thomas Ferdinand (Germany), 6-4; lost by tech. fall to Dan Chaid (USA), 11-0
286 lbs./130 kg - Jim Nielsen, Moses Lake, Wash. - pin Siegfreid Hartel (Germany); pin Hamid Madanchi (Iran)
Div. B (41-45 years)
127.75 lbs./58 kg - George Dunn, Belleview, Wash. - lost pin to Anatoli Kara-Sal (Russia)
127.75 lbs./58 kg - John Henry Smithson, Ventura, Calif. - lost dec. to Siamak Vallace (Denmark), 7-1
138.75 lbs./63 kg - Paul Hermann, York, Pa. - lost by ref. dec. to Peter Brandenberger (Germany), 2-1; won by tech. fall over Domenico Genco (France), 11-0
167.5 lbs./76 kg - Brad Brosius, Dover, Pa. - won by forfeit over Aloukhad Badalov (Russia)
213.75 lbs./97 kg - Steve Goode, Brighton, Mass. - lost dec. to Jean-Daniel Gachoud (Switzerland), 7-5
213.75 lbs./97 kg - Jeffrey Henry, Santa Monica, Calif. - lost dec. to Zoltan Hodossy (Slovakia), 4-1
Div. C (46-50 years)
152.75 lbs./69 kg - Russell Cozart, Brandon, Fla. - won by inj. dft. over Badri Shengelia (Georgia); won by tech. fall over Rudolf Ganserich (Germany), 10-0
152.75 lbs./69 kg - Jim Lucas, Santa Cruz, Calif. - lost dec. to Rudolf Ganserich (Germany), 7-0
213.75 lbs./97 kg - Ron Cole, Auburn, Wash. - lost dec. to Michael Busse (Poland), 5-0; lost by tech. fall to Teimuraz Khabadze (Georgia), 12-1
Div. D (51-55 years)
127.75 lbs./58 kg - Dwain Burkholder, Woodland Park, Colo. - pin Viktor Chirkov (Russia); won by inj. dft. over Alexander Galkine (Russia); Note: Burkholder clinches gold medal.
138.75 lbs./63 kg - Shirzad Ahmadi, Coventry, Conn. - won by technical fall over Robert Butler (Switzerland), 11-0
Div. E (56 years and above)
152 lbs./69 kg - Mansour Honarvar, Oceanside, Calif. - lost dec. to Vadim Zorins (Latvia), 6-0; lost by tech. fall to Enio Todorov Dinev (Bulgaria), 10-0
167.5 lbs./76 kg - Joe Seay, Perry, Okla. - lost dec. to Fiodoras Validmirovas (Lithuania), 6-0
187.5 lbs./85 kg - Glenn Clark, Flatrock, Newfoundland (Canada) - dec. Moukhtar Amirtchoupanov (Russia), 6-4
187.25 lbs./85 kg - Bruce Bird - lost dec. to Adil Oglu (Azerbaijan), 7-0; lost pin to Alexander Istomin (Uzbekistan)
286 lbs./130 kg - David Battiste, Arvada, Colo. - lost dec. to Mart Mutso (Estonia), 4-0
286 lbs./130 kg - Roger Olesen, Redwood City, Calif. - lost pin to Vasil Todorov Valkov (Bulgaria)
Team leader/coach - Kevin Jackson, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Medal Match pairings featuring U.S. wrestlers
Gold Medal matches
Div. A 97 kg - Dan Chaid (USA) vs. Johannes Rossouw (South Africa)
Div. A 130 kg - Jim Nielson (USA) vs. Andreas Schroeder (Germany)
Div. C 69 kg - Russell Cozart (USA) vs. Kvins Genusarijs (Latvia)
Div. E 85 kg - Glenn Clark (USA) vs. Alexander Istomin (Uzbekistan)
Bronze Medal matches
Div. A 76 kg - Bradley Swartz (USA) vs. Lakatos Gyozo (Hungary)
Div. A 97 kg - Dale Porcher (USA) vs. Davoud Bani (Iran)
Div. B 63 kg - Paul Hermann (USA) vs. Izak Steyn (South Africa)
Div. E 76 kg - Joe Seay (USA) vs. Reinhard Zeiher (Germany)
Roundrobin match remaining
Div. D 63 kg - Shirzad Ahmadi (USA) vs. Ognian Niklov Velikov (Bulgaria)
Completed with undefeated round-robin record
Div. D 58 kg - Dwain Burkholder (USA)
EVENT SCHEDULE
The competition is being held at the Stadthalle Freiburg in Freiburg, Germany
Friday,