Rulon Gardner named 2004 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Rulon Gardner(Wellsville, Utah/Sunkist Kids) has been named the 2004 Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the fourth time Gardner has won this award (1997, 2000, 2001, 2004).
Gardner won a bronze medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. It was his second career Olympic medal, to go along with a gold medal won at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He became only the second American to win two career Olympic Greco-Roman medals, along with Dennis Koslowski (1988, 1992).
Gardner retired from wrestling after his 3-0 bronze-medal victory over Sajad Barzi of Iran, leaving his ASICS wrestling shoes on the center mat in a traditional wrestling retirement gesture. He left his shoes behind on the mat, tearfully waving to the applause of the crowd. The retirement tradition was captured on international television and by photographers and displayed to the delight of the world.
His quest for a second Olympic gold medal was shattered when he was upset by Georgi Tsurtsumia of Kazakhstan, 4-1 in overtime in the semifinals.
Gardner won his first three matches in his pool competition to qualify for the semifinals. He scored a pair of 3-0 victories, defeating both Mindaugus Mitzgaitis of Lithuania and Marek Mikulski of Poland. In between, he edged 1996 Olympic bronze medalist Sergey Moreyko of Bulgaria in a 1-1 overtime referee’s decision, in which Gardner won on criterion of fewer passivities.
Gardner earned his spot on the U.S. Olympic Team, winning the title at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials “Wrestling in Indianapolis, Ind in May. He defeated 2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in the championship series, two matches to one.
Gardner won his matches at the Titan Games, held in Atlanta, Ga in June. He also won a gold medal at the internationally respected Pytlasinski Tournament champion in Poland, as well as at the Dave Schultz Memorial International in the United States. He also won a silver medal at the U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev.
Gardner was able to win a second career Olympic medal in spite of a series of physical challenges. In 2002, he suffered severe frostbite in his feet, and had a toe amputated, when stranded overnight in the mountains. It took a full year to recover from the frostbite accident and for Gardner to return to the mats. In 2004, he suffered a motorcycle accident and an injury to his hand prior to the U.S. Nationals event.
During his career, Gardner won most of the major Olympic sports awards, including the James E. Sullivan Award, the USOC SportsMan of the Year award, as well as an ESPY award. He was USA Wrestling’s Man of the Year in 2000.
Gardner was a NCAA All-American for the Univ. of Nebraska, and won a junior college national title for Ricks College. He is originally from Afton, Wyo.
USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners each day this week on TheMat.com.
PAST GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2004 – Rulon Gardner, Wellsville, Utah (Sunkist Kids)
2003 – Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2002 – Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2001 – Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2000 – Rulon Gardner, Afton, Wyo., Sunkist Kids
1999 – Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
1998 – Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
1997 – Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1996 – Dennis Hall, Stevens, Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1995 – Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1994 – Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1993 – James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
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