GRUENWALD, COUTURE, GARDNER QUALIFY FOR GOLD-MEDAL FINALS AT 1998 PAN-AMERICAN GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN WINNIPEG, CANADA, MARCH 24Three U.S. wrestlers have qualified for the gold-medal finals at the 1998 Pan-American Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The three finalists are Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds, Randy Couture (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 213.75 pounds and Rulon Gardner (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds.
Gruenwald, who was second in the 1997 Pan American Championships, won a pair of matches by technical fall on Tuesday, defeating D. Perada of Venezuela, 12-0 and stopping Neil Domstad of Canada, 12-0. He will face Roberto Monzon of Cuba in the gold-medal finals on Wednesday.
Couture also scored a pair of technical falls, beating A. Rodriguez of Mexico, 14-0 and J. Marin of Venezuela, 13-3. Couture will battle veteran Reynaldo Pena of Cuba in the gold-medal finals.
Couture, who placed ninth in the 1997 World Championships, is a three-time U.S. national champion. He is a 1991 Pan-Am Games champion and claimed a silver medal in the 1992 and 1997 Pan-Am Championships.
Gardner needed just one victory to qualify for the finals, beating Alfredo Far of Panama, 12-0 by technical fall. He will face his arch-rival, 1992 Olympic Champion Hector Millian of Cuba, in the gold-medal round.
Gardner, who placed fifth in the 1997 World Championships, claimed a silver medal in the 1997 Pan-Am Championships.
The other five U.S. wrestlers lost one match, but have qualified for bronze-medal bouts on Wednesday.
The five U.S. wrestlers in the bronze-medal round are Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 119 pounds, Kevin Bracken (DeKalb, Ill./NYAC) at 138.75 pounds, Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 152 pounds, Keith Wilson (Norman, Okla./unattached) at 167.5 pounds and Dan Henderson (Huntington Beach, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 187.25 pounds.
Both Sheldon and Henderson are two-time Olympic team members. Sheldon competed in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, while Henderson was on the 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympic Teams.
Ike Anderson of Albany, N.Y. , Jim Hall of Syracuse, N.Y., and National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo. are coaching the U.S. Greco-Roman team.
Cuba qualified all eight of its wrestlers for the gold-medal round on Wednesday, and have already clinched the team title.
The 1998 Pan-American Championships are being used as the qualifying tournament for the 1999 Pan-American Games that will also be held in Winnipeg.
1998 Pan-American Greco-Roman Championships at Winnipeg, Canada
U.S. results on March 24
54 kg/119 lbs. - Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. - lost dec. to Lazaro Rivas (Cuba), 8-0; won by tech. fall over T. Texcira (Brazil), 12-0; won by tech. fall over V. Valentin (Dominican Republic), 12-0
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. - won by tech. fall over D. Perada (Venezuela), 12-0; won by tech. fall over Neil Domstad (Canada), 12-0
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Kevin Bracken, DeKalb, Ill. - won by tech. fall over C. Pearson (Canada), 12-0; lost dec. to Juan Maren (Cuba), 3-0, ot; dec. C. Pierson (Canada), 8-0
69 kg/152 lbs. - Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo. - lost dec. to Liubal Colas (Cuba), 5-0; dec. A. Brea (Dominican Republic), 4-1; dec. J. Lopez (Peru), 8-3; dec. R. Olivera (Mexico), 12-0
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Keith Wilson, Norman, Okla. - lost dec. to Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba), 6-0; won by ref. dec. over P. Perez (Venezuela), 0-0, ot, 8:00; dec. C. Albrecht (Peru), 4-0; dec. R. Hernandez (Mexico), 3-0
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Dan Henderson, Huntington Beach, Calif. - pin Mike Thomas (Canada); lost by disq. to J. Ayala (Mexico), 0:03; won by forfeit over J. Broschini (Argentina)
97 kg/213.75 lbs - Randy Couture, Corvallis, Ore. - won by tech. fall over A. Rodriguez (Mexico), 14-0; won by tech. fall over J. Marin (Venezuela), 13-3
130 kg/286 lbs. - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz. - won by tech. fall over Alfredo Far (Panama), 12-0