UPDATE! Brandon Paulson Wins Silver Medal at 54 kg / Medal Round Results!

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Heather Van Peursem (USA Wrestling)
12/09/2001


Medal Match Results for 54 kg, 63 kg, 76 kg and 97 kg        1996 Olympic silver medallist Brandon Paulson (Golden Valley, Minn./Minnesota Storm) added another silver medal to his collection, this time at the 2001 Greco-Roman World Championships Saturday night in Patras, Greece. He lost an 8-4 decision to Hassan Rangraz of Iran. He got behind in the match 5-0 in the first two minutes when Rangraz scored with a big throw and back exposure and another takedown and gut wrench. Paulson started the second period with a three point arm throw to make the score 4-5, but Rangraz added another three point throw with back exposure at 3:59 to bring the final score to 8-4.    "I'm disappointed that I didn't win the gold medal," said Paulson. "I trained very hard the two years before the Olympic Trials in 2000 and then didn't make the team. Someone asked me recently when I got over that - and I said that I hadn't yet. Now that I can add a World silver medal to my 1996 Olympic silver medal, I feel like I have gotten over the fact that I didn't make the 2000 Olympic team and possibly win there."    "I was hoping I wouldn't be the 'second best' Brandon in Minnesota," added Paulson. (referring to the fact that Brandon Eggum of Minneapolis won a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships in freestyle).    1999 world champion Lazaro Rivas of Cuba won the bronze medal at 54 kg with a 3-1 decision over Uran Kalilov of Kyrgyzstan.Vagninak Galustyan of Armenia won the gold medal at 63 with an upset over Kim In Sub of Korea, 8-3. In Sub is a two-time world champion and won the silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games.  Ara Abrahamjian of Sweden won the gold medal at 76 kg. He pinned Alexei Michine of Russia after throwing him coming out of the clinch position. The gold medal at 97 kg went to Alexandre Bezroutchkine of Russia. He decisioned Ernesto Pena of Cuba 7-0.     54 kg    Gold - Hassan Rangraz (Iran) dec. Brandon Paulson (USA), 8-4    Bronze - Lazaro Rivas (Cuba) dec. Uran Kalilov (Kyrgyzstan), 3-1     63 kg    Gold - Vagninak Galustyan (Armenia) dec. Kim In Sub (Korea), 8-3    Bronze - Michael Beilin (Israel) dec. Juan Maren (Cuba), 3-0, ot, 6:07    76 kg    Gold - Ara Abrahamjian (Sweden) pin Alexei Michine (Russia), 5:04    Bronze - Kim Jin Soo (Korea) dec. Sergiy Solodkyy (Ukraine), 3-0    97 kg    Gold - Alexandre Bezroutchkine (Russia) dec. Ernesto Pena (Cuba), 7-0    Bronze - Mehmet Ozal (Turkey) dec. Petru Sudurfeak (Romania), 7-5