U.S. Lineup Set For 2002 Greco-Roman World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 18-20
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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
10/09/2002
The 20th Greco-Roman World Cup will be held in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 18-20. For the second year in-a-row, this event will be held in conjunction with the second annual Women's World Cup at Central Sports Hall. Countries competing in the Greco-Roman World Cup are the United States, Egypt, China, Turkey and Tunisia. Countries competing in the Women's World Cup are Canada, China, Egypt, Japan, Russia, Tunisia and Ukraine. The United States will not send a women's team to the World Cup this year as they continue to prepare for the Women's World Championships in Halkida, Greece, Nov. 1-2. Two members of the 2002 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team will compete for the United States. Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will wrestle at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will wrestle at 84 kg/185 lbs. Gruenwald recently placed eighth at the 2002 Greco-Roman World Championship and Vering placed fifth at the same event, which was held in Moscow, Russia. Returning from last year's U.S. Greco-Roman World Cup Team are Gruenwald, Marcel Cooper (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Ethan Bosch (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Bosch is moving up in weight at placing second at the 2002 U.S. World Team Trials at 84 kg/185 lbs. Other members of the U.S. Greco-Roman World Cup Team are Neal Rodak (San Diego, Calif./U.S. Navy), 2002 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) and three-time Armed Forces champion Corey Farkas (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force). The United States placed third with a 1-3 record at the 2001 Greco-Roman World Cup held in Levallois, France, losing to team champion Russia, Turkey and Egypt. 2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) captured the World Cup gold medal at 130 kg/286 lbs, Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) placed second, Gruenwald and Bosch placed third and Brandon Paulson (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm) and Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) placed fourth. The best finish for the U.S. at the Greco-Roman World Cup was in 1996 at Colorado Springs, Colo., when the team placed third with a 2-2 record and claimed a record five individual gold medals. 2002 U.S. Greco-Roman World Cup Team 55 kg/121 lbs. - Neal Rodak (San Diego, Calif./U.S. Navy) 60 kg/132 lbs. - Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Marcel Cooper (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Ethan Bosch (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Corey Farkas (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) Coaches - Jay Antonelli of Quantico, Va. and Joe Russell of Minneapolis, Minn. 2002 World Cup of Wrestling Cairo, Egypt Oct. 18-20 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 1st Round: U.S. vs. China 1st Round: Egypt vs. Turkey 2nd Round: Tunisia vs. U.S. 2nd Round: China vs. Egypt 3rd Round: Turkey vs. U.S. 3rd Round: Tunisia vs. China SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 4th Round: Egypt vs. U.S. 4th Round: Tunisia vs. Turkey 5th Round: China vs. Turkey 5th Round: Tunisia vs. Egypt