Russ Cozart of Brandon, Fla. claimed his fourth consecutive World title at the 1998 Veterans World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling in Bordeaux, France, July 15-18.Cozart, who also has won two World silver medals, scored a 6-0 decision over Baoui Shengelia of Georgia to win his historic fourth World gold medal at 150 pounds in Div. B (42-48 years). Cozart is the only U.S. Veteran wrestler to win four World titles.
Also winning titles for the U.S. were Dave Mills of Grand Rapids, Mich. at 150 pounds in Div. A (35-41 years) and Glenn Clark of USA at 203 lbs in Div. D (56 years and over).
Mills, the 1998 U.S. Veterans National champion at 150 pounds, claimed the gold medal with a 6-3 decision over Ron Hughes at 150 pounds.
Clark, who lives in St. Johns, Newfoundland, scored a 4-1 decision over Rafegh Ziba Zakbar of Iran in the finals.
Claiming silver medals were: Ron Hughes at 150 pounds, Russell Schenk of Holiday, Fla. at 168 pounds and Bradley Swartz of Auburn, Wash. at 185 pounds in Div. A (35-41 years), Richard Miller of Coral Springs, Fla. at 132 pounds in Div. B (42-48 years) and Dwain Burkholder of Woodland Park, Colo. at 132 pounds in Div. C (49-55 years).
Hughes was defeated 6-3 by teammate Dave Mills of Grand Rapids, Mich. in the gold medal match.
Schenk, the 1998 U.S. Veterans National champion at 168 pounds, lost a 3-1 decision to Adnan Elezi of Macedonia in the finals.
Swartz, the 1998 U.S. Veterans National champion at 185 pounds, was defeated 5-0 in the gold-medal match by W. Putter from the Republic of South Africa.
Miller lost a 3-1 decision to Hossian Touranion of Iran in the finals.
Claiming a bronze medal for the U.S. was Joe Seay of Perry, Okla. at 168 pounds in Div. D (56 years and over). Seay, the 1996 U.S. Olympic freestyle Head Coach, scored a 7-5 decision over Ebrahim Seafpour of Iran to claim his second straight World medal.
The competition, now in its seventh year, features athletes 35 years old and above, competing in freestyle wrestling in four divisions: Div. A (35-41 years); Div. B (42-48 years); Div. C (49-55 years); and Div. D (56-60+ years).
Wrestlers competed in six weight divisions at the Veterans World Championships: 55-60 kg, 68 kg, 76 kg, 84 kg, 92 kg, 100-130 kg.
The United States placed third overall as a team with eight medals. Iran claimed the team title with a total of 18 medals followed by Germany in second place with 12 medals.
The U.S. team was coached at the Veterans World Championships by Mike Duroe, USA Wrestling's new Freestyle Developmental Coach.
Previous sites for the Masters World Championships were Cali, Colombia (1992), Toronto, Canada (1993), Rome, Italy, (1994), Sofia, Bulgaria (1995), Varna, Bulgaria (1996) and Martigny, Switzerland (1997).
1998 VETERANS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bordeaux, France, July 15-18
U.S. Results
Div. A (35-41 years)
60 kg /132 lbs. - Scott Naylor, Dallastown, Pa., (6th) - dec. Fabrice Peltier, France, 6-0; dec. Matthias Fornoff, Germany, 3-2; lost by pin to Julien Mewis, Belgium, 3:18; lost by tech. fall to Hazred Mamediazor, Azerbaijan, 11-0
60 kg /132 lbs. - Joe Gonzales, Huntington Beach, Calif., (5th) - dec. Edgar Thomas, Germany, 7-0; lost by dec. to Allah Khaer Fatahi, Iran, 8-1; won by tech. fall over Bondo Sardanashini, Georgia, 11-1; won by tech. fall over Paoio Torresan, Italy, 12-0; lost by dec. to Fodor Tucan, Moldovia, 7-5
60 kg /132 lbs. - George Dunn, Bellevue, Wash., (dnp) - lost by pin to Matthias Fornoff, Germany, 1:49; lost by pin to Fabrice Peltier, France
68 kg/150 lbs. - Dave Mills, Grand Rapids, Mich., (1st) - dec. M. Dunn, Republic of South Africa, 3-1; won by tech. fall over S. Oches, Republic of South Africa, 10-0; won by ref. dec. over Oleg Assoctchalov, Russia, 2-0, 4:00; won by ref. dec. over Ron Hughes, USA, 1-1, ot, 4:00
68 kg/150 lbs. - Ron Hughes, USA, (2nd) - dec. G.Lehmann, Switzerland, 3-0; won by tech. fall over Herbert Waiser, Germany, 10-0; won by tech. fall over Sandor Nemeth, Hungary, 10-0; lost by ref. dec. to Dave Mills, 1-1, ot, 4:00
68 kg/150 lbs. - Kevin Klemm, Lenexa, Kan. (dnp) - dec. Stefano Raspanoti, Italy, 3-1; lost dec. to Berlun Pushthrou, Ukraine, 5-0; lost dec. to Mohammad Mashadi, Iran, 7-1
76 kg/168 lbs. - Russell Schenk, Holiday, Fla., (2nd) - won by tech fall over Mannko Lah, Croatia, 10-0; won by tech. fall over Vitalis Sokorfvics, Lithuania, 10-0; dec. Michel Line, France, 3-2; lost by dec. to Adnan Elezi, Macedonia, 3-1
84 kg/185 lbs. - Bradley Swartz, Auburn, Wash., (2nd) - lost by dec. to W. Putter, Republic of South Africa, 3-0; won by tech. fall over Roland Bolduan, Germany, 11-0; dec. Alexan Vertokhvostov, Russia, 4-2; dec. Bernard Reichenbach, Germany, 4-1; lost dec. to W. Putter, Republic of South Africa, 5-0
84 kg/185 lbs. - Harold Rogers, Oakland, Calif., (dnp) - lost by ref. dec. to Bernard Reichenbach, Germany, 2-0; lost by ref. dec. to Ataollah Aghaei, Iran, 2-0
Div. B (42-48 years)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Tommy Reyna, Midwest City, Okla., (5th) - lost dec, to Hossian Touranion, Iran, 6-0; dec. A. Normann, Germany, 7-3; dec. Manfred Lutz, Germany, 6-3; lost by tech. fall to Anatoli Kara Sal, Russia, 11-0
60 kg/132 lbs. - Richard Miller, Coral Springs, Fla., (2nd) - dec. F. Gogligarmestani, Iran, 7-1; lost dec. to S. Van Der Walt, Republic of South Africa, 5-0; lost dec. to Hossian Touranion, Iran, 3-1
68 kg/150 lbs. - Russ Cozart, Brandon, Fla., (1st) - dec. Imre Jaszaki, Hungary, 4-0; dec. Ghobadi Hossean, Iran, 9-5; won by ref. dec. over Ehrnhard Pocher, Germany, 1-0; dec. Rudi Ganserich, Germany, 4-0; dec. Baoui Shengelia, Georgia, 6-0
68 kg/150 lbs. - Jim Lucas, Santa Cruz, Calif., (dnp) - lost dec. to Baoui Shengelia, Georgia, 7-0; dec. Paul Hermann, USA, 4-3; lost dec. to Valen Mouraviev, Russia, 5-4
68 kg/150 lbs. - Paul Hermann, York, Pa., (dnp) - lost by ref. dec. to I. Steyn, Republic of South Africa, 4-4, ot; lost dec. to Jim Lucas, USA, 4-3
76 kg/168 lbs. - Bud Sines, Brookfield, Wis., (dnp) - lost by tech. fall to Matthias Hiller, Germany, 10-0; lost dec. to Hartmud Kell, Germany, 7-2
76 kg/168 lbs. - Greg Archer, Terre Haute, Ind., (dnp) - lost by tech. fall to Vladim Zakharouchkine, Russia, 11-0; dec. Jobot Safrany, Hungary, 9-4; lost dec. to Hartmud Kell, Germany, 4-0
84 kg/185 lbs. - Steve Contarino, Palmetto, Fla., (dnp) - lost dec. to Tilt Tartlan, Estonia, 13-8; lost dec. to Vakharsoultan Akhmedov, Russia, 7-0
84 kg/185 lbs. - Ronald Cole, Auburn, Wash., (dnp) - lost by tech. fall to Rezaei Reza, Iran, 10-0; dec. Sandor Csizmadia, Hungary, 7-0; lost dec. to Mahammad Seyed Abbasi, Germany, 5-0
130 kg/286 lbs. - Richard Alvarez, Huntington Beach, Calif., (5th) - lost dec. to Roland Gehrke, Germany, 4-1; lost ref. dec. to Frantisek Fabrik, Slovakia, 3-3, ot
130 kg/286 lbs. - Eric Davies, Boca Raton, Fla., (5th) - dec. Nikuradze Zurab, Georgia, 5-3; dec. Mikheil Maisuradze, Georgia, 4-0; dec. Gunter Klemm, Germany, 6-0; dec. Frantisek Fabrik, Slovakia, 5-1; lost dec. to Mogharrebi Masoud, Iran, 9-0
Div. C (49-55 years)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Dwain Burkholder, Woodland Park, Colo., (2nd) - dec. Ebrahim Javadi, Iran, 8-2; dec. Mevuid Chkhaidze, Georgia, 6-0; lost dec. to Ahmadi Shirzad, Iran, 11-6
68 kg/150 lbs. - Robert Hernandez , USA, (dnp) - lost by tech. fall to Solta Asgar Hassan, Iran, 10-0; dec. Vassili Touoz, 3-1
68 kg/150 lbs. - Robert Butler, USA, (dnp) - dec. Severing Della Ragione, Italy, 6-2; lost by tech. fall to Victor Arnautov, Ukraine, 10-0; lost dec. to Vassilli Touzoz, Russia, 12-4
92 kg/203 lbs. - Paul Stull, LeMoyne, Pa., (dnp) - lost dec. to Josip Corak, Croatia, 3-2; lost dec. to Mati Roosnurm, Estonia, 3-2
Div. D (56 years and over)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Mansour Honarvar, Laguna Hills, Calif., (8th) - dec. Shura Maisuradze, Russia, 3-1; lost dec. to Takanon Miyauchi, Japan, 8-0; lost by tech. fall to Abbasall Shahabi, Iran, 10-0
76 kg/168 lbs. - Curtis Shearer, Clayton, N.J., (dnp) - lost by ref. dec. to Horst Reinhold, Germany, 6-6, ot; won by tech. fall ov