US loses grip, Russia holds on

Compiled by Globe Staff, 09/15/2000

WHEN: Greco-Roman: Sept. 26 (54kg, 63kg, 76kg, 97kg), Sept. 27 (58kg, 69kg, 85kg, 130kg); Freestyle: Sept. 30 (54kg, 63kg, 76kg, 97kg), Oct. 1 (58kg, 69kg, 85kg, 130kg).

US ENTRIES: Kevin Bracken, Terry Brands, Charles Burton, Rulon Gardner, James Gruenwald, Samuel Henson, Cary Kolat, Garrett Lowney, Steven Mays, Kerry McCoy, Lincoln McIlravy, Keith Sieracki, Heath Sims, Brandon Slay

FAVORITES:

Freestyle:

• 54 kg: 1. Kim Woo-yong, South Korea; 2. Adcham Adshilov, Uzbekistan; 3. Alexander Zakharuk, Ukraine;
• 58 kg: 1. Harun Dogan, Turkey; 2. Ali Reza Dabier, Iran; 3. Damir Zakhartinov, Uzbekistan;
• 63 kg: 1. Kolat; 2. Elbrus Tedeyev, Ukraine; 3. Jang Jae-sung, South Korea;
• 69 kg: 1. Daniel Igali, Canada; 2. McIlravy; 3. Yueksel Sanli, Turkey;
• 76 kg: 1. Adam Saitiev, Russia; 2. Alexander Leipold, Germany; 3. Adem Bereket, Turkey;
• 85 kg: 1. Yoel Romero Palacio, Cuba; 2. Chadshimurad Magomedov, Russia; 3. Burton;
• 97 kg: 1. Sagid Murtasaliev, Russia; 2. Alireza Heydari, Iran; 3. Marek Robert Garmulewicz, Poland;
• 130 kg: 1. Andrei Shumilin, Russia; 2. Abbas Jadidi, Iran; 3. McCoy;

Greco-Roman:

• 54 kg: 1. Lazaro Rivas Scull, Cuba; 2. Ha Tae-yeon, South Korea; 3. Alfred Ter-Mkrtchyan, Germany;
• 58 kg: 1. Kim In-sub, South Korea; 2. Yuri Melnishenko, Kazakhstan; 3. Armen Nazaryan, Bulgaria;
• 63 kg: 1. Machidar Manukyan, Kazakhstan; 2. Seref Eroglu, Turkey; 3. Michal Beilin, Israel;
• 69 kg: 1. Son Sang-pil, South Korea; 2. Alexander Tretyakov, Russia; 3. Wladimir Kopytov, Belarus; 76 kg: 1. Nazmi Avluca, Turkey; 2. Yvon Riemer, France; 3. Dimitrios Avramis, Greece;
• 85 kg: 1. Luis Enrique Mendez Lazo, Cuba; 2. Thomas Zander, Germany; 3. Ratbek Sanatbaev, Kirghizstan;
• 97 kg: 1. Georgi Koguachvili, Russia; 2. Andrzej Wronski, Poland; 3. Mikael Ljungberg, Sweden;
• 130 kg: 1. Alexander Karelin, Russia; 2. Hector Milian Perez, Cuba; 3. Sergej Mureiko, Bulgaria.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: The Russians no longer have the world in a hammerlock in freestyle, and with the classes reduced from 10 to eight, their medal haul will be even smaller. They're still the best of the bunch, though, and the Americans, who've won eight medals at each of the last two Games, are slipping. Two of their three world medalists (Stephen Neal and Les Gutches) didn't make the team. That leaves Kolat as the best hope for gold in 63 kg. Though Russia's Alexander Karelin, the unbeaten behemoth, bestrides the field in Greco-Roman, the Cubans and Koreans will give the Russians a go. After winning three silvers in Atlanta, the Americans are off the screen. If they were competing in federal court, they'd have a shot.