LINDLAND QUALIFIES FOR SEMIFINALS AT GRECO-ROMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, AUG. 27 
   
 Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) remains unbeaten at 167.5 pounds and has qualified for the semifinals at the 1998 Greco-Roman World Championships, Aug. 27 in Gavle, Sweden. 
   
 Lindland opened with an impressive 12-0 technical fall over Alberto Recuero of Spain. In the second round, he defeated Attila Batky of Slovakia, 4-0. He received a bye in the third round. 
  
 Lindland will face 1996 Olympic champion Filiberto Azcuy of Cuba in the semifinals on Friday. Lindland beat Azcuy in the 1996 World Cup event, but Azcuy also boasts a number of victories over Lindland. 
  
 Two U.S. wrestlers have one loss and are alive in the consolation rounds: two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 119 pounds and Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 138.75 pounds. 
  
 Sheldon opened with a 1-0 overtime referee¹s decision against Ruslan Vartanov of Lithuania. In the second round, he was defeated by Oleg Koutcherenko of Germany, 5-0. Koutcherenko was a 1992 Olympic Champion and two-time World Champion when he competed for the former Soviet Union. 
  
 In his first consolation match, Sheldon defeated 1997 World Champion Ercan Yildiz of Turkey, 2-1 in overtime. He will face Zigmunds Jansen of Latvia in his next match on Friday. Sheldon was a 1991 World silver medalist and placed fourth in the 1992 Olympic Games. 
  
 Bracken, competing in his first World Championship, opened with a pair of victories, stopping Ismo Kamesaki of Finland, 4-0 and pinning Mekhor Manibusan of Guam in 2:09. In the third round, he lost by technical fall to Asian champion Sang Sung Choi of Korea, 10-0 in 43 seconds. His next opponent on Friday is Akaki Chachua of Georgia. 
  
 Eliminated from the competition was Jason Klohs (Maple Grove, Minn./Minn. Storm) at 213.75 pounds, with a 1-2 record. He was competing in his first World Championships. 
  
 He was pinned in his first match by Genadi Chaidze of Georgia in 4:40. He rebounded with a 3-1 overtime decision over Pajo Ivosevic of Yugoslavia. He was eliminated in the next round by 1995 World Champion Hakki Basar of Turkey, 3-0. 
  
 Weighins were held for the second set of four weight classes. Leading the second group of U.S. athletes are 1996 Olympic silver medalists Dennis Hall (Plover, Wis./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds and Matt Ghaffari (Avon Lake, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds. The other two wrestlers in the second group are Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 152 pounds and Quincey Clark (New Brighton, Minn./Minn. Storm) at 187.25 pounds. 
  
 The 1998 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Coaches are Joe DeMeo of Niskayuna, N.Y., Dan Mello of Colorado Springs, Colo. and National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo.  
  
 GRECO-ROMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS at Gavle, Sweden, Aug. 27 
  
 U.S. results 
  
 54 kg/119 lbs.  - Shawn Sheldon, Colo. Spgs, Colo.  - won by ref. dec. over Ruslan Vartanov (Lithuania), 1-0, ot, 8:00; lost dec. to Oleg Koutcherenko (Germany), 5-0; won by ref. dec. over Ercan Yildiz (Turkey), 2-1, ot, 8:00 
  
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Kevin Bracken, Colo. Spgs, Colo.  - dec. Ismo Kamesaki (Finland), 4-0; pin Mekhor Manibusan (Guam), 2:09; lost by tech. fall to Sang Sung Choi (Korea), 10-0, 0:43 
  
 76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb.  - won by tech. fall over Alberto Recuero (Spain), 12-0, ot, 2:10; dec. Attila Batky (Slovakia), 4-0 
  
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Jason Klohs, Maple Grove, Minn.  - lost by pin to Genadi Chaidze (Georgia), 4:40; dec. Pajo Ivosevic (Yugoslavia), 3-1, ot, 6:57; lost dec. to Hakki Basar (Turkey), 3-0 
  
 U.S. Group 2 athletes (first round pairings for Aug. 28) 
  
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Dennis Hall, Plover, Wis. (Sunkist Kids) - vs. Victor Hugo Capacho (Colombia) 
  
 69 kg/152 lbs. -  Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) - vs. Theodoris Voltsidis (Greece) 
  
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Quincey Clark, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm) - vs. Alexander Sidorenko (Belarus) 
  
 130 kg/286 lbs. - Matt Ghaffari, Avon Lake, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) - vs. Vassil Hristov (Spain) 
  
 Follow the Greco-Roman World Championships on line at 1998 World Championships web page at http://www.wrestling1998.com and USA Wrestling web page at http://usawrestling.org