Two U.S. wrestlers have qualified for the gold-medal finals of the Takhti Cup of freestyle wrestling in Tehran, Iran. They will face opponents from Iran for the championship on Friday, Feb. 20. 
 The two U.S. finalists are 1992 Olympic champion Kevin Jackson (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 85 kg/187.25 lbs. and 1993 World Champion Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 97 kg/213.75 lbs. 
 The U.S. Senior-level freestyle wrestling team is believed to be the first U.S. team in any sport to compete in Iran in almost 20 years. The Takhti Cup is recognized as a Grand Prix event by FILA, the international wrestling federation, and features a field of 17 nations this year. 
 Jackson won three straight matches to qualify for Friday's championship finals, where he will face Qambari of Iran. Jackson is also a two-time World Champion, claiming gold medals in 1991 and 1995. 
 Jackson pinned S. Karakoutis of Greece in 3:10 in the first round. He followed with an 8-0 decision over Hasko of Hungary. In the semifinals, Jackson pinned Quaffary of Iran in 1:46. 
 Douglas also won three times on Thursday, and will face 1996 Olympic silver medalist Abbas Jadidi of Iran in the gold medal finals. 
 Douglas pinned N. Khekimov of Turkmenistan in 2:56 in the first round, then beat Gantogtohk of Mongolia, 2-1, in overtime in the next bout. He earned a forfeit victory over Sakaroglu of Turkey in the semifinals. 
 Douglas has won four career World medals, and was seventh in the 1996 Olympic Games. Jadidi defeated Douglas in the finals of the 1993 World Championships in Toronto, Canada, but Douglas was later declared World Champion when Jadidi failed the doping test. 
 Two other U.S. wrestlers lost one bout but remain in the hunt for a bronze medal:  1992 Olympic silver medalist Zeke Jones (Chandler, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 54 kg/119 lbs. and Shawn Charles (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.  
 Jones won his first two matches, but was defeated in the third round by three-time World medalist Gholam Reza Mohommadi of Iran, 3-2 in overtime. Jones will face Jokar of Iran in the consolation rounds on Friday morning. 
 Charles lost his first match to T. Tsogplayer (Mongolia), 4-2, but came back with two wins in the consolation rounds. He will battle Kumar of India on Friday morning. 
 The fifth U.S. wrestler on the tour, John Giura (New York, N.Y./Dave Schultz WC), was eliminated at 69 kg/152 lbs., with a 2-1 record in the tournament. 
 During the first day, U.S. wrestlers competed against Iranian wrestlers three times, with the USA winning two of the matches. 
 Coaching the U.S. team is 1996 U.S. Olympic head coach Joe Seay (Perry, Okla./Sunkist Kids). Seay led the U.S. freestyle team to five medals in the 1996 Olympics, the most of any nation. He also coached the U.S. to World team titles at the 1993 and 1995 Freestyle World Championships. 
 "The guys are wrestling well," said Seay. "I am proud of them. They are hanging tough. The matches that we lost were very close. It has been a great tounament. The fans are really into the sport. They cheer when we wrestle, whether we win or lose." 
 "Melvin Douglas will give Jadidi a tough match in the finals. Jadidi looks big and strong this year. Kevin Jackson has been pinning people left and right. He will have a great chance in the finals," he said. 
 USA Wrestling President Larry Sciacchetano of Baton Rouge, La., who is also a member of the FILA Bureau, the international governing council, is on the tour. Mitch Hull of Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Wrestling's National Teams Director, is also with the team. The referee on the tour is Jim McCord of Alden, Iowa. The medical officer on the tour is Dr. Bruce Reider of Hinsdale, Ill. 
  TAKHTI CUP 
 at Tehran, Iran, Feb. 19-20 
 Results of U.S. athletes on Feb. 19 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Zeke Jones, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) - pin Sergelowlatir (Mongolia); dec. Gogoshvili (Georgia), 9-2; lost dec. to Mohammadi (Iran), 3-2, ot  Jones will face Jokar of Iran in consolation round on Friday 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Shawn Charles, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids) -  lost dec. to T. Tsogplayer (Mongolia), 4-2; dec. Afghan (Azerbaijan), 7-3; dec. Khabeh (Iran), 4-2  Charles will face Kumar of India in consolation round on Friday 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - John Giura, New York, N.Y. (Dave Schultz WC) - lost dec. to Akhti (Azerbaijan), 3-2; dec. Maloten (Krygyzstan), 9-0; lost dec. to Katau (Japan), 3-2, ot  Giura has been eliminated from the competition 
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Kevin Jackson, Gilbert, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) - pin S. Karakoutis (Greece), 3:10; dec. Hasko (Hungary), 8-0; pin Quaffary (Iran), 1:46  Jackson will face Qambari of Iran in the gold-medal finals on Friday 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) - pin N. Khekimov (Turkmenistan), 2:56; dec. Gantogtohk (Mongolia), 2-1, ot; won by forfeit over Sakaroglu (Turkey)  Douglas will face Abbas Jadidi of Iran in the gold medal finals on Friday 
 U.S. Freestyle Tour Team to Iran 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Zeke Jones, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 31 years old  1992 Olympic silver medalist, 1991 World Champion, 1995 World bronze medalist, Four-time World Cup champion, 1995 Pan American Games champion, 1994 Goodwill Games champion, 1990 NCAA runner-up for Arizona State Univ. 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Shawn Charles, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 27 years old  1997 Yasar Dogu Tournament champion in Turkey, 1993 and 1996 Sunkist Kids International Open champion, 1995 Dan Kolov Tournament champion in Bulgaria, 1995 Slovakia Grand Prix champion, 1992-93 NCAA runner-up for Arizona State Univ. 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - John Giura, New York, N.Y. (Dave Schultz WC), 34 years old  Seventh in 1989 World Championships, 1990 and 1991 World Cup champion, 1986 Pan American Championships champion, 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials runnerup, Four-time Henri Deglane Challenge champion in France, Third in 1984 NCAA Championships for the Univ. of Wisconsin. 
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Kevin Jackson, Gilbert, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 33 years old  1992 Olympic Champion, 1991 and 1995 World Champion, Three-time World Cup champion, Two-time Pan American Games champion, Third in the 1994 Goodwill Games, Fourth in 1993 World Championships, 1987 NCAA runner-up for Iowa State Univ. 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 34 years old  1993 World Champion, 1989 World silver medalist, 1994 and 1995 World bronze medalist, Seventh in 1996 Olympic Games, 1995 Pan American Games Champion, 1994 World Cup champion, 1985-86 NCAA champion for the Univ. of Oklahoma 
 Coach - Joe Seay, Perry, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)  1996 U.S. Olympic team head coach, Head coach of 1993 and 1995 World Champion teams, 1990 Goodwill Games head coach, 1986 and 1991 World Cup head coach, led Oklahoma State to two NCAA Div. I titles and Cal-State Bakersfield to seven NCAA Div. II titles.