Chad Vandiver in action against Joe Betterman at 60 kg. Vandiver was fifth today at the Herman Kare International in Finland. Larry Slater photo

KOUVOLA, Finland – Two U.S. athletes placed fifth after dropping bronze-medal bouts at the Herman Kare International in Greco-Roman on Saturday.

Placing fifth were Chad Vandiver (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Joseph Sheffield (Camp Lejeune, N.C./U.S. Marines) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Vandiver lost his first match to Ville Pasanen of Finland, 0-5, 0-8 but was pulled back into the repechage when Pasanen reached the finals. He won his first repechage bout, stopping Alexey Kiyankin of Russia, 2-0, 0-1, 3-0. Vandiver was beaten in the bronze-medal round by Artem Surkov of Russia, 0-6, 0-6.

Sheffield won his first match, stopping Jusso Huovinen of Finland, 2-0, 3-0. In the semifinals, he lost to Sebastian Lannborn of Sweden, 0-2, 1-0, 0-1. In the bronze-medal match, he was pinned by Atzamas Kabulov of Russia.

The U.S. delegation included four athletes from the U.S. Marine Corps, plus Vandiver, who is a USOTC resident athlete.

Two other Marines placed in the top 10, Don Simmons (Camp Lejeune, N.C./U.S. Marines), who was ninth at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Moises Hernandez (Camp Lejeune, N.C./U.S. Marines), who was 10th at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

All four Marines competing have already qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in April.

Vandiver has not yet qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Had he won his bronze-medal match, he would have met qualifying standards for the Trials.

HERMAN KARE INTERNATIONAL
At Kouvola, Finland, January 14

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Anders Ronningen (Norway)
Silver - Joakim Fagerlund (Sweden)
Bronze - Thomas Ronningen (Norway)
4th - Karwan Ahmadi (VaaTo-Finland)
5th - Toufan Ahmadi (VaaTo-Finland)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Stig Andre Berge (Norway)
Silver - Ville Pasanen (KuKu-Finland)
Bronze - Artem Surkov (Russia)
Bronze - Nikolay Polkin (Russia)
5th - Chad Vandiver (USA)
5th - Ville Kaki (KPM-Finland)
7th - Ramunas Dagys (Lithuania)
8th - Alexey Kiyankin (Russia)
9th - Mikko Lyttinen (NJ-Finland)
10th - Mazyar Shirmohammadi (HeTa-Finland)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Dominik Etlinger (Croatia)
Silver - Jarkko Ala-Huikku (IK-Finland)
Bronze - Danijel Janecic (Croatia)
Bronze - Marius Thommesen (Norway)
5th - Jaanus Lepik (Estonia)
5th - J Niemista (Koovee-Finland)
7th - Ville Lehmusvirta (LA-Finland)
8th - Edgaras Venckaitis (Lithuania)
9th - Makwan Amirkhani (VaaTo-Finland)
10th - Esa Uimonen (JPI-Finland)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold - Bozo Starcevic (Croatia)
Silver - V. Venckaitis (Lithuania)
Bronze - Aleksandr Kazakevic (Lithuania)
Bronze - Veli-Karri Suominen (VV-Finland)
5th - Tero Valikmaki (IK-Finland)
5th - Juho Ihanamaki (PPM-Finland)
7th - Maxim Abaev (Russia)
8th - Arturas Sekus (Lithuania)
9th -  Petteri Kukkola (HaHe-Finland)
10th - Alichan Abdurachmanov (StP-Russia)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Alo Toom (Estonia)
Silver - Mika Kuronen (TuTo-Finland)
Bronze - Jonne Ukkola (HaHe-Finland)
Bronze - Laimutis Adomaitis (Lithuania)
5th - Sebastian Huovinen (Haka-Finland)
5th - Vladimir Baldanov (StP-Russia)
7th - Julius Matuzevicius (Lithuania)
8th - Marko Kivimaki (IK-Finland)
9th -  Donald Simmons (USA)
10th - Petri Luoma (VirkiÃ-Finland)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold - M. Nielsen (Norway)
Silver - Mindaugas Ezerskis (Lithuania)
Bronze - Evgeny Kudashkin (Russia)
Bronze - Ardo Arusaar (Estonia)
5th -  Matti Hamalainen (Koovee-Finland)
5th - Jonne Jokela (OP-Finland)
7th - Maksim Safaryan (StP-Russia)
8th - Vilius Laurinaitis (Lithuania)
9th - Miltos Miltiadous (Sweden)
10th - Moises Hernandez (USA)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Sergey Chesnokov (StP-Russia)
Silver - Sebastian Lannborn (Sweden)
Bronze - Kamran Gasanov (StP-Russia)
Bronze - Atzamas Kabulov (StP-Russia)
5th - Marijus Grygelius (Lithuania)
5th - Joseph Sheffield (USA)
7th - Juuso Huovinen (Haka-Finland)

U.S. Greco-Roman performances

60 kg/132 lbs. – Chad Vandiver, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5th
LOSS Ville Pasanen (KuKu-Finland), 0-5, 0-8
WIN Alexey Kiyankin (Russia), 2-0, 0-1, 3-0
LOSS Artem Surkov (Russia), 0-6, 0-6

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – John Cox, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines), dnp/11th
LOSS Jaanus Lepik (Estonia), 0-2, 1-3

84 kg/185 lbs. – Don Simmons, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines), 9th
LOSS Alo Toom (Estonia), 0-1, 3-2, 0-2
LOSS Laimutis Adomaitis (Lithuania), 0-1, 0-3

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Moises Hernandez, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines), 10th
LOSS Matti Hamalainen (Koovee-Finland), 0-1, 3-5

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Joseph Sheffield, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines), 5th
WIN Jusso Huovinen (Haka-Finland), 2-0, 3-0
LOSS Sebastian Lannborn (Sweden), 0-2, 1-0, 0-1
LOSS Atzamas Kabulov (St. Petersburg-Russia), pin

Team standings
1. Lithuania, 57 pts.
2. Norway, 46 pts.
3. St. Petersburg – Russia, 37 pts.
4. Russia, 31 pts.
5. Croatia, 28 pts.
6. Estonia, 24 pts.
7. Sweden, 20 pts.
8. IK club – Finland, 18 pts.
9. United States, 15 pts.
10. VaaTo club – Finland, 15 pts.
of 28 teams