Never in the history of U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling have a pair of World Champion athletes battled for a single spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. The United States only has four World gold medalists in this style of wrestling. Two of them happen to compete at 120 kg/264.5 pounds and are in the hunt for a spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. This is a big story on the Olympic circuit, something that will bring attention to Greco-Roman wrestling across the nation.    Going into the Olympic Team Trials, sitting at the No. 1 seed after winning the U.S. Nationals is 2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers. Coming into the event as the U.S. Nationals runner-up and a participant in the Challenge Tournament is 2000 Olympic champion and 2001 World champion Rulon Gardner. For the historic Byers vs. Gardner showdown to occur, Gardner must beat the rest of the field.     Byers was able to toss Gardner for the three-point move late in their gold-medal match in Las Vegas for the win. He was able to turn around a recent trend, where Gardner had won their recent meetings. Gardner stopped Byers in the finals sereis of the 2003 World Team Trials (also coming from the Challenge Tournament), then beat Byers in two competitions over the winter. These athletes are fierce competitors and great talents, but are also friends in spite of the rivalry.     He may not be well known in the general public, but wrestlers around the world know all about Byers talent and skill. At the 2002 World meet, Byers was able to throw every one of his opponents on the way to the title. In the past, Gardner has beaten Byers late in matches due to an advantage in conditioning. Byers has been working hard on this aspect of wrestling, and is expected to be at his best when the Championship Series rolls around in Indianapolis.     Gardner is the most well-known wrestler in the United States right now, after his upset victory over three-time Olympic champion Alexander Kareline of Russia in the Sydney Olympics. He also has overcome a compelling personal challenge, when he lost a toe to frostbite during a life-threatening night in the mountains during a snowmobile trip. He remains in the news often, including a recent motorcycle mishap. Gardner has some challenges with one of his hands, which he hopes in not a factor in his performance in Indianapolis.     There are other athletes in this division, and all have the same Olympic dreams as Byers and Gardner. It will be up to somebody to step up and beat Gardner in the Challenge Tournament to change the story line of this weight division. The best bet is Paul Devlin, an Army teammate of Byers and the athlete who placed third at the U.S. Nationals. Devlin trains and competes often with both wrestlers, and has yet to beat them. Devlin has size and strength, and has increased his experience. Byers says great things about Devlin's wrestling abilities.     Another that has the belief in his mind that he can make the finals is Corey Farkas, who was fifth at the U.S. Nationals. Farkas beat Gardner in the semifinals at the 2003 U.S. Nationals. He has also been ranked as high as No. 2 on the U.S. National team. Farkas has tremendous experience after paying his dues for many seasons.    Taking a strong fourth at the U.S. Nationals was Russ Davie, a college athlete who has shown some promise in international Greco-Roman wrestling. Davie is looking for a breakthrough in Indianapolis. Another wrestler to watch is Tim Taylor, who was sixth at the U.S. Nationals. Taylor is coming off a recent double title at the University Nationals, where he won both the freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions. The other wrestlers to qualify for the Olympic Trials through the U.S. Nationals were seventh-place Tyrone Abercrombie and eighth-place Nick Severson, both longshots in this field.    The field will not be much larger than this. Two of the athletes who won Regional events at this division will be dropping to 96 kg. Two other Regionals went to athletes who are already qualified, Farkas and Devlin. Byers won the Armed Forces tournament, another qualifying event. The only athlete expected to wrestle at 120 kg from the qualifying events is South Regional champion Cole Konrad, a young college star. Conrad was a national champion Greco-Roman wrestler on the Junior level but is just starting to test himself against the Senior-level stars. Nobody doubts his future, but he will be less experienced than most of the rest of the competitors.    On paper, a Byers vs. Gardner showdown of World champion stars is expected here. However, Gardner will not have an easy time earning a re-match with Byers. Devlin and Farkas have earned respect at this division and have the tools to pull off an upset. Most of the other athletes are not expected to get past Gardner, but will give their best effort. The United States has proven its ability to develop champion super heavyweights in Greco-Roman. The winner in Indianapolis will be expected to battle for a medal at the Athens Games.    2004 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS QUALIFIERS IN GRECO-ROMAN AT 120 KG/264.5 POUNDS  U.S. Nationals Champion - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)   U.S. Nationals, second place - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  U.S. Nationals, third place - Paul Devlin, Cascade, Colo. (U.S. Army)  U.S. Nationals, fourth place - Russ Davie, Cleveland, Ohio (New York AC)  U.S. Nationals, fifth place -  Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)  U.S. Nationals, sixth place - Timothy Taylor, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines)  U.S. Nationals, seventh place - Tyrone Abercrombie, Hempstead, N.Y. (Gator WC)   U.S. Nationals, eighth place - Nick Severson, Stewartville, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)  Armed Forces Champion  - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  South Regional Trials Champion - Cole Konrad, Freedom, Wis. (Minnesota Storm)  West Regional Trials Champion - Paul Devlin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  North Regional Trials Champion -Frank Workman, Spotsylvania, Va. (U.S. Marines)  East Regional Trials Champion - Al Sankey, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines)  Central Regional Trials Champion -Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)