The goal of a serious athlete is to be the absolute best at what you do. In the sport of wrestling, that is achieved when you become a World Champion or Olympic Champion. For that year, you are No. 1 in the world at your weight class and style. It is easy to say that the 2003 Dave Schultz Memorial International Tournament is the best in history. The field the largest it has ever been, with 334 entries in all three styles. And the quality is unbelievable, with talented stars in every single weight class. In fact, the field boasts 13 individual World and Olympic Champions, with at least four World champions in every style. Leading the parade are a pair of World and Olympic Champions, both in men's Greco-Roman, Rulon Gardner of the United States and Filiberto Azcuy of Cuba. Gardner was the big star at the 2000 Olympic Games with his win over the previously unbeaten Alexander Kareline of Russia, then followed it up with a World title in 2001. The strongest weight class featured three individual World Champions, the 63 kg/138.75 pound division in women's freestyle. The World Champions in this division include Kristie Marano of the United States, Nikola Hartmann-Dunser of Austria and Sara Eriksson of Sweden. Hartmann-Dunser has won five World titles (not even the most in the entire Schultz field, believe it or not). All three World champions at 63 kg were in different pools. The athlete with the most World titles is also in the women's draw, Christine Nordhagen of Canada at 72 kg/158.5 pounds. Nordhagen has won an amazing six World titles. After taking a year off from major competition, Nordhagen is back on the mat with a passion, with her sight set at the first Olympic Games for women's wrestling in Athens, Greece in 2004. Two weight classes have two World Champions in the draw. At 55 kg/121 lbs. in men's freestyle, Sammie Henson of the USA and Rene Montero of Cuba. In the men's Greco-Roman field, there is a pair of World champions at 74 kg/163 pounds, Filberto Azcuy of Cuba and Jimmy Samuelsson of Sweden. The other World Champions not yet mentioned here are women's freestyler Miyu (Yamamoto) Inoue of Japan, men's freestylers Yoel Romero of Cuba (84 kg/185 lbs.) and Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba (120 kg), and men's Greco-Roman stars Lazaro Rivas of Cuba (55 kg/121 lbs.) and Luis Mendez of Cuba (84 kg/185 lbs.). The scary part is that there would have been even more. Uzbekistan had a World champion in Greco-Roman who was initially expected to wrestle, but the team went home after competing in the Concord Cup last week. There was also a Russian freestyle World Champion and a Japanese women's World Champion on the initial entry lists that did not show. Just being a past World Champion in this event guarantees nothing. As noted above, in the opening session, Sweden's Eriksson was beaten in the women's draw, 3-2. In men's Greco-Roman in the first session, Samuelsson, another Swedish World Champion, was beaten by an American Marcel Cooper of the U.S. Marines, 3-0. If you count World and Olympic medallists in the field, list gets much bigger. For the World Champions to win this thing, they will need to beat some other world medalists (and some talented athletes who have yet to medal). In the U.S. delegation, nine World-level medalists are competing. In the women's field, Patricia Miranda (48 kg/105.5 lbs.), Stephanie Murata (55 kg/121 lbs.), Tina Wilson (55 kg/121 lbs.) and Toccara Montgomery (72 kg/158.5 lbs.) have won medals. Two men's freestylers, Cary Kolat (66 kg/145.5 lbs.) and Brandon Eggum (84 kg/185 lbs.) have captured medals for the USA. In Greco-Roman, Brandon Paulson (55 kg/121 lbs.) boasts Olympic and World silver medals. The number of gold medalists in the house is more than the 13 on the mat. Two World champions who are still wrestling competitively did not enter but are here to support the action, Ara Abrahamian of Sweden and Dremiel Byers of the United States. Then there are the coaches who are working with these tremendous athletes, including USA Wrestling coaches and Olympic champions Kevin Jackson, Steve Fraser and Momir Petkovic. Coaching the Russian wrestlers is World and Olympic champion Anatoly Beloglazov. Working with the Japanese federation is Olympic and World champion Hideyaki Tomiyama of Japan. Two-time Olympic champion Sim Kwon Ho of Korea, who has been at the U.S. Olympic Training Center for awhile working the U.S. Greco-Roman athletes, is also at the event. "I can tell how hard USA Wrestling has worked to bring one of finest wrestling events in the world here for our athletes," said Nancy Schultz of the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club. "It is important to have high level competition right here in our back yard, making it convenient to test yourself against the world's best. It is an honor to Dave to have this kind of competition in his memory." Needless to say, if you are an international wrestling fan, the best place to be this weekend is at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. In fact, it's the best place in the world for wrestling this weekend. Dave would be pleased. DAVE SCHULTZ MEMORIAL INTERNATIONAL At Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 8-9 Women's Freestyle gold medalists competing 55 kg - Miyu Inoue (Japan) 63 kg - Kristie Marano (USA) 63 kg - Nikola Hartmann-Dunser (Austria) 63 kg - Sara Eriksson (Sweden) 72 kg - Christine Nordhagen (Canada) Men's Freestyle gold medalists competing 55 kg - Rene Montero (Cuba) 55 kg - Sam Henson (USA) 84 kg - Yoel Romero (Cuba) 130 kg - Alexis Rodriguez (Cuba) Men's Greco-Roman gold medalists 55 kg - Lazaro Rivas (Cuba) 74 kg - Jimmy Samuelsson (Sweden) 74 kg - Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba) - World and Olympic Champion 84 kg - Luis Mendez (Cuba) 120 kg - Rulon Gardner (USA) - World and Olympic Champion Coaches who were gold medalist athletes at the event: Steve Fraser (USA) Kevin Jackson (USA) Anatoly Beloglazov (Russia) Hideyaki Tomiyama (Japan) Sim Kwon-Ho (Korea) Editor's note after event: Only five of the World Champions were able to win the Schultz International this year: (Henson, Romero, Rodriguez, Rivas, Azcuy)