The United States will feature four talented and experienced Greco-Roman wrestlers at the 2003 Titan Games: The Road to Athens, Feb. 14-15 in San Jose, Calif.    Coaching the U.S. Greco-Roman athletes will be USA Wrestling's National Greco-Roman  Coach Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo. Fraser won an Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the first U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic champion in history.    "Overall, I'm hoping we do very well at the Titan Games," said Fraser. "It will be a great opportunity for these athletes to face some of the top wrestlers in the world. I am confident that each can win their bouts and represent the nation well."    Perhaps the most recognized athlete on the team is 2000 Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner (Cascade, Colo./Sunkist Kids), who will compete for the United States at 120 kg/264.5 pounds.    Gardner became a worldwide sports hero  at the Sydney Olympic Games by upsetting the previously unbeaten Alexander Kareline of Russia in the finals. Kareline had won three Olympic gold medals and nine World titles, all in a row.     Gardner was selected to carry the U.S. flag at the Closing Ceremony in Sydney. He won the USOC SportsMan of the Year award, the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, an ESPY as the top Male Olympic athlete, the Jesse Owens Award, the USA Wrestling Man of the Year Award and many other honors.    A year later, Gardner  won a World Championships gold medal. He became the only U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to ever win both an Olympic gold medal and a World gold medal. He became just the third U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to capture a World title, joining Mike Houck (90 kg in 1985) and Dennis Hall (57 kg in 1995). In 2002, Dremiel Byers (120 kg) became the fourth.    Gardner was an NCAA All-American at the Univ. of Nebraska and an NJCAA national champion at Ricks College.     Last winter, on a snowmobile trip in the Wyoming mountains, Gardner was stranded overnight in freezing temperatures and barely survived the ordeal. He suffered from severe frostbite and eventually lost a toe to amputation. He has made an amazing comeback from his injuries, and in October 2002 returned to the mats for competition. Gardner is training for a chance to defend his Olympic title in 2004.    "I am impressed with how far Rulon has come since his accident," said Fraser. "He's operating on nine toes just like he was on 10 toes, for the most part. As of January 1, he has pumped up his training plan and is dedicated to prepare for the Titan Games and the following competitions."    Gardner is appearing at a press conference in San Jose, Calif. at noon today concerning the Titan Games. For information, contact Daphne Mayer, San Jose Sports Authority, at 408-288-2937 or daphne@sjsa.org.    Another Olympic hero on the U.S. Titan Games team is 1996 Olympic silver medalist Brandon Paulson (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm), who will be competing at 55 kg/121 lbs.    Paulson claimed a silver medal at 114.5 pounds at the Atlanta Games, while still enrolled as a student athlete at the Univ. of Minnesota. Paulson placed second in the 2000 Olympic Trials, just missing another chance to compete in the Olympics.    In 2001, Paulson claimed a silver medal at 54 kg/119 lbs. at the World Greco-Roman Championships. That year, his performance helped lead the USA to a third-place finish as a team at the World Greco-Roman Championships, its best-ever performance.    "He's going to do well," said Fraser. "What makes him so tough is that he forces his positions and his style on others. He stays in great positions of strength. He is also in excellent cardio-vascular condition."    Another past Olympian, Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will compete for the United States at 60 kg/132 lbs. Gruenwald placed sixth in the 2000 Olympic Games. He was also eighth in the 2002 World Championships and 10th in the 2001 World Championships. He was a National Christian College champion at Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Wisconsin, where he competed for 1972 Olympic Champion Ben Peterson.    "He is the grinder on our team," said Fraser. "His strength is his conditioning, intensity and relentless attack. He has made vast improvements in some areas of need. This will be a good test for him."    The fourth U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler will be T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. Dantzler is ranked No. 1 in the USA at his weight class and competed at the 2002 World Championships. Three times, Dantzler has been a runner-up at the U.S. National Championships. He wrestled in college for the Univ. of Northern Illinois.    "T.C. is very talented, and one of the most explosive athletes on our team," said Fraser. "He can reverse lift anybody in the world when he is on. He is very excited about the chance to compete in the Titan Games."    The Greco-Roman wrestlers will be joined by seven freestyle wrestlers and two women's freestyle wrestlers on the Titan Games squad. The U.S. freestyle wrestlers were named in December, and the  women wrestlers will be named at a later date.    The two international teams scheduled to compete against the USA in wrestling at the Titan Games are Russia and Cuba. Russia is traditionally the world's top wrestling nation, and a long-time archrival of the talented U.S. team. Cuba, a major World and Pan American power, has also been outstanding in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.    The Titan Games will provide a major test for U.S. Olympic hopefuls, as the world's best get set to compete in the mini-sport festival with a multi-sport format. The Road To Athens for America's elite boxers, fencers, shot putters, wrestlers, weightlifters and judo, taekwondo and karate athletes matches them up with the world's powers in each of these respective sports.    Developed by the USOC in partnership with the affiliated National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and hosted by the San Jose Sports Authority and the City of San Jose, the Titan Games will feature a "USA versus the World" format in dual and triangular meets. The Titan Games venue will accommodate four platforms with competition continuously happening on at least three platforms. The event's format is the first of its kind and will be staged over three finals-only format sessions at the 5,000 seat Event Center at San Jose State University.  Team and individual winners will be named by sport and weight classification, with the honor of "Ultimate Titan" up for grabs.    "For American athletes to be the best in the world, they must compete against the best in the world," said Jim Scherr, Chief of Sport Performance for the USOC.  "The Titan Games will provide our Olympic hopefuls that opportunity, as part of their on-going journey to Athens."    Tickets to this can't-miss event are already on sale at www.ticketmaster.com or through the participating National Governing Bodies.  Tickets will also be available at all San Jose Ticketmaster locations beginning January 16.    U.S. TITAN GAMES WRESTLING TEAM  Greco-Roman wrestlers  55 kg/121 lbs. - Brandon Paulson, Anoka, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)  60 kg/132 lbs. - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  74 kg/163 lbs. - T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  Greco-Roman Coach - National Freestyle Coach Steve Fraser, Colorado Springs, Colo.    Freestyle wrestlers  55 kg/121 lbs. - Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)  60 kg/132 lbs. - Eric Guerrero, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)  74 kg/163 lbs. - Casey Cunningham, Mount Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)  84 kg/185 lbs. - Cael Sanderson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)  96 kg/211.25 lbs. - Tim Hartung, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)  120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Kerry McCoy, Bethlehem, Pa. (New York AC)  Freestyle Coach - National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson, Colorado Springs, Colo.    U.S. women wrestlers  To be announced