The U.S. Greco-Roman World Team will compete in the 48th Greco-Roman World Championships in Creteil, France, October 2-5, 2003. The tournament will bring together the top Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world and will serve as an Olympic qualifier.    The team will depart for France on September 22 and begin its acclimation phase in Creteil in the days leading up to the World Championships.    "I've got very optimistic thoughts of how we are going to do," stated USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser. "We've got some veterans, but we also have a couple of rookies. Just like any year, we are going to have to go out and wrestle to our utmost potential to be in the running for a team medal. Greco is so deep, that we could be in the top three or be in the top 15 with one round difference in the way people wrestle."    The team will be led by 1996 Olympic silver medalist and 2001 World silver medalist Brandon Paulson (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2000 Olympic gold medalist and 2001 World gold medalist Rulon Gardner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.    Paulson won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games and added a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships to his trophy case. He placed eighth at the 2002 World Championships after losing a controversial quarterfinal match to eventual World Champion Geider Mamadaliyev of Russia. Paulson is also a three-time U.S. National champion.    Gardner continued his miraculous comeback with a win over reigning World Champion Dremiel Byers at the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials. Gardner made history in 2000, capturing an Olympic gold medal by defeating Alexandre Kareline of Russia, who had previously been unbeaten in 13 years of international competition.    The super-heavyweight then became the first American Greco-Roman wrestler to win back-to-back gold medals with his World Championship in 2001. In February, 2002, Gardner was stranded overnight in freezing temperatures in the wilderness and suffered severe frostbite, and as a result of the accident, lost one toe to amputation.    Joining Paulson and Gardner are 2000 Olympians Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.    Gruenwald placed eighth at the 2002 World Championships, losing only to eventual World Champion Armen Nazarian of Bulgaria. He also placed sixth at the 2000 Olympic Games. Gruenwald captured his first U.S. National title this year after placing second for seven straight years. He has shone at the U.S. World and Olympic Team Trials, earning berths on the last three World Teams along with his Olympic team berth in 2000.    Bracken is a seasoned veteran who is in his fifth year as the No. 1 wrestler in the U.S. Bracken's highest major international finish came at the 2000 Olympic Games with a sixth-place showing. At the 2001 World Championships, he finished seventh. In the 2002 World Championships, Bracken was ousted from pool competition by Farid Mansurov of Azerbaijan, the eventual World silver medalist.    Young Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will once again represent the United States at 84 kg/185 lbs. Vering placed fifth at the 2002 World Championships in what was his first year of facing major international competition.    The 25 year-old became the first Nebraska native to represent the U.S. in wrestling, and it is a position he does not want to give up. Vering defeated longtime friend and mentor Matt Lindland, a 2000 Olympic silver medalist, in the national finals this year to solidify himself as the top wrestler in the United States.    Also on his second term as a member of the U.S. World Team is T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), who will compete at 74 kg/163 lbs. The explosive and exciting Dantzler won his pool at the 2002 World Championships, but was defeated in a qualification match after he suffered a knee injury.    Added to the U.S. roster is U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Ruiz will take the place of 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Garrett Lowney (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm), who is suffering from a severe neck and spinal injury.    Ruiz just finished his sophomore season at the Univ. of Nebraska, where he placed fifth at the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season. His last international competition was the 1999 Junior World Championships in which he placed 10th. Ruiz did not compete for two years (1999-2001) between high school and college to serve a Mormon Mission.    Paulson, Vering, Ruiz and Gardner all captured silver medals at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in August. Gruenwald and Dantzler won bronze medals.    "Every single guy on this team has a chance to win a medal. Our goal is to win four medals minimum with a team title and to qualify all seven weight classes for the Olympic Games," Fraser added.    Nearly 70 countries are expected to compete in the 2003 Greco-Roman World Championships. The tournament will serve as an Olympic qualifier, with the top 10 wrestlers in each weight class qualifying their respective weight class for their country for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.    Coaching this year's U.S. Greco-Roman World Team are head coach Shon Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and assistant coach Major Jay Antonelli (Quantico, Va.).    Lewis currently serves as the head wrestling coach for the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. He was a member of the 2001 and 2002 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team coaching staffs, helping U.S. Army athlete Dremiel Byers capture a World title in 2002.    As an athlete, Lewis competed on the 1993 and 1999 U.S. Greco-Roman World Teams. He also qualified for the 1998 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team.    Antonelli is the head coach of the All-Marine wrestling team. He previously has been a member of three U.S. Greco-Roman World Team coaching staffs and was an assistant coach with the 2000 U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic Team coaching staff. Antonelli was also the head coach of the 2002 U.S. Greco-Roman World Cup team.    As an athlete, Antonelli was a nationally-ranked Greco-Roman wrestler for the All-Marine Corps team.    Four U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers have captured World gold medals - Mike Houck (1985), Dennis Hall (1995), Rulon Gardner (2001) and Dremiel Byers (2002). Matt Ghaffari has captured more World medals than any other U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler, winning silvers in 1991 and 1998 and a bronze in 1995.    The highest finish for the U.S. team at the Greco-Roman World Championships was in 2001 when it placed third.    U.S. Greco-Roman World Team  55 kg/121 lbs. - Brandon Paulson, Anoka, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)  60 kg/132 lbs. - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kevin Bracken, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  74 kg/163 lbs. - T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  84 kg/185 lbs. - Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Rulon Gardner, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  Coaches: Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Jay Antonelli, Quantico, Va.    Greco-Roman World Championships  at Creteil, France  October 1-5, 2003  Wednesday, October 1  5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: 55, 66, 84, 120 kg medical check  6:00 pm - 6:30 pm: 55, 66, 84, 120 kg weigh-ins and draws    Thursday, October 2  8:30 am - 12:30 pm: 55, 66, 84, 120 kg pool competition  3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: 60, 74, 96 kg medical check  4:00 pm - 4:30 pm: 60, 74, 96 kg weigh-ins and draws  5:30 pm - 9:00 pm: 55, 66, 84, 120 kg pool competition    Friday, October 3  9:00 am - 12:30 pm: 60, 74, 96 kg pool competition  9:00 am - 12:30 pm: 55, 66, 84, 120 kg pool competition and qualifying round  5:30 pm - 8:30 pm: 55, 66, 84, 120 kg quarterfinals   5:30 pm - 8:30 pm: 60, 74, 96 kg pool competition    Saturday, October 4  9:00 am - 12:30 pm: 60, 74, 96 kg pool competition and qualifying round  9:00 am - 12:30 pm: