Gardner wins gold medal, Klohs, Clark and Bracken win silver at the Granma Cup in St. Spiritus, Cuba, Feb. 22-23Led by four individual medalists, the United States placed second as a team at the Granma Cup in St. Spiritus, Cuba, Feb. 22-23.
Rulon Gardner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won the gold medal at the 286-pound weight class. Jason Klohs (Maple Grove, Minn./Minnesota Storm) Quincey Clark (New Brighton, Minn./Minnesota Storm) and Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) took silver medals.
Gardner first scored a win over 1992 Olympic champion Hector Milian of Cuba with a 2-1 decision. He then won by an injury default over Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army). Gardner scored another decision over Giussepe Giunta of Italy, 2-0, and won the gold medal over Hector Milian of Cuba by an injury default.
Klohs won four of his six matches to claim the silver medal at 213.75 pounds. He first lost a close 1-0 referee's decision to Mijail Lopez of Cuba, then won his next four matches. He decisioned Reynaldo Pena of Cuba, 1-1, then Dave Surofchek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC), 3-0, then Alvaro Torres of Venezuela, 3-1, and lost in the finals to Ernesto Pena of Cuba, 11-0.
Clark won the silver medal at 187.25 pounds. He won three of his four matches. He first decisioned Eddy Bartolozy of Venezuela, 3-2, then Olguin Sabua of the Dominican Republic, 10-3. He scored a technical fall over Maikel Santiesteban of Cuba, 12-2, and lost to Luis Mendez of Cuba in the gold-medal match, 6-1.
Bracken first scored a 3-1 decision over Enrique Cubas of Peru, then won by a technical fall over Martin Siri of the Dominican Republic, 10-0. He decisioned Cristian Carballeda of Cuba, 5-3, to make it to the gold-medal match. He then lost to 1996 Olympic champion Filiberto Azcuy of Cuba, 10-0.
Placing fifth for the USA was Dave Surofchek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC), at 213.75 pounds.
Three members of the U.S. team placed seventh: Jeff Cervone (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) at 119 pounds, Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 167.5 pounds and Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 286 pounds.
Host Cuba won the team title, followed by the United States, Italy and Colombia. A total of 10 nations participated in the tournament.
GRANMA CUP
at St. Spiritus, Cuba, Feb. 22-23
Medalists
119 - 1st - Lazaro Rivas (Cuba); 2nd - Diosbel Rivalta (Cuba); 3rd - Adrian Betancourt (Cuba)
127.75 - 1st - Roberto Monzon (Cuba); 2nd - Luis Sarmientos (Cuba); 3rd - Osmany Duca (Cuba)
138.75 - 1st - Juan Luis Maren (Cuba); 2nd - Victor Yandry (Cuba); 3rd - Ricardo Magni (Italy)
152 - 1st - Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba); 2nd - Kevin Bracken (USA); 3rd - Cecilio Rodriguez (Cuba)
167.5 - 1st - Oscar Castellanos (Cuba); 2nd - Reinier Corrales (Cuba); 3rd - Odelis Herrero (Cuba)
187.25 - 1st - Luis Mendez (Cuba); 2nd - Quincey Clark (USA); 3rd - Maikel Santiesteban (Cuba)
213.75 - 1st - Ernesto Pena (Cuba); 2nd - Jason Klohs (USA); 3rd - Majail Lopez (Cuba)
286 - 1st - Rulon Gardner (USA); 2nd - Hector Milian (Cuba); 3rd - Guissepe Guinta (Italy)
Team standings
1. Cuba, 2. United States, 3. Italy, 4. Colombia, 5. Dominican Republic, 6. El Salvador, 7. Mexico, 8. Peru, 9. St. Spiritus club (Cuba), 10. Venezuela
U.S. performances
119 - Jeff Cervone, Colorado Springs, Colo., 7th - lost by tech. fall to Lazaro Rivas (Cuba), 14-0; lost by tech. fall to David Ochoa (Venezuela), 11-0; dec. Jorge Cardoso (Venezuela), 4-3
152 - Kevin Bracken, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2nd - dec. Enrique Cubas (Peru), 3-1; won by tech. fall over Martin Siri (Dominican Republic), 11-0; won by tech. fall over Rafael Aguilar (Mexico), 10-0; dec. Cristian Carballeda (Cuba), 5-3; lost by tech. fall to Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba), 10-0
167.5 - Chris Saba, Colorado. Springs, Colo., 7th - lost dec. to Reinier Corrales (Cuba), 5-2; lost dec. to Jean Ramirez (Venezuela), 5-3; dec. Carlos Albrecht (Peru), 8-0
187.25 - Quincey Clark, New Brighton, Minn., 2nd - dec. Eddy Bartolozy (Venezuela), 3-2; dec. Olguin Sabua (Dominican Republic), 10-3; won by tech. fall over Maikel Santiesteban (Cuba), 12-2; lost dec. to Luis Mendez (Cuba), 6-1
213.75 - Jason Klohs, Maple Grove, Minn., 2nd - lost dec. to Mijail Lopez (Cuba), 1-0; dec. Reynaldo Pena (Cuba), 1-1; dec. Dave Surofchek (USA), 3-0; dec. Edwar Diaz (Venezuela), 4-0; dec. Alvaro Torres (Venezuela), 3-1; lost by tech. fall to Ernesto Pena (Cuba), 11-0
213.75 - Dave Surofchek, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5th - lost dec. to Ernesto Pena (Cuba), 6-0; pinned Vitel Orellana (El Salvador), 1:25; lost dec. to Jason Klohs (USA), 3-0; won by disq. over Edwar Diaz (Venezuela), 3:36
286 - Rulon Gardner, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1st - dec. Hector Milian (Cuba), 2-1; won by inj. def. over Dremiel Byers (USA); dec. Guissepe Guinta (Italy), 2-0; won by inj. def. over Hector Milian (Cuba)
286 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., 7th - lost dec. to Hector Milian (Cuba), 1-1, rd, 9:00; lost by inj. def. to Rulon Gardner (USA)