BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS : Koslowski Finds Glory, Even in Defeat : Record: He becomes the first American to win medals in Greco-Roman wrestling at two Olympics.

Dennis Koslowski was disoriented. He stumbled around the mat as sweat poured from his blond hair down to his square jaw and onto his muscular chest.

In a span of nearly six minutes, he lost and won, saw his Olympic medal chances swing between gold and silver, and felt his emotions dip and soar.

But now he was finally satisfied.

Koslowski, 32, concluded his trip from a childhood of uncertainty to an international moment of glory Tuesday night as he earned a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Cuba’s Hector Milian, 27, used a headlock and a snatchdown to score a takedown 25 seconds into the sudden-death overtime to defeat Koslowski, 2-1, in the gold-medal bout of the 220-pound weight class.

Koslowski, a chiropractor from St. Louis Park, Minn., is the first American Greco-Roman wrestler to get medals in different Olympics, having won a bronze in 1988 at Seoul.

Rodney Smith, 26, of Ft. Benning, Ga., won a bronze in the 150-pound weight class Tuesday night.

“In Seoul, I really didn’t express myself,” Koslowski said. “I didn’t let it all hang out, as they say. That’s the main reason I came back.

“But Milian is at the top of his game right now. He’s not terribly cerebral, he’s a fighter, a brawler. It was a fast-paced match, and we gave people what they wanted to see. The competitor in me will analyze this match for a couple of days, but I’m satisfied with what I have done. I know I have given my best.”

Milian, the 1991 world champion, is quick, strong, aggressive and extremely good at turning opponents. Koslowski is also strong, good at countering, but sometimes methodical.

That may have cost him at the end.

Milian scored the first point 1:08 into the five-minute regulation match as Koslowski was given a passivity violation and Milian turned him with a gutwrench move.

Koslowski was called for the same violation again with 2:38 left, but Milian was unable to turn him. Then, with 1:34 left in the match, Koslowski tied the score after Milian failed on a double leg takedown, the American stepping around for control and a point.

Milian was given a passivity violation with 1:13 remaining, but Koslowski was unable to turn him.

“I thought I had it going after the takedown, and thought I would win it when he was in the down position,” Koslowski said. “Most guys would have broken right there, but Milian is not like most guys.”

Koslowski thought he had another chance, shortly before Milian scored the final takedown. But instead, he hesitated.

Milian didn’t.

“He had his chances, and the match could have gone either way,” said Mike Houck, the U.S. Greco-Roman coach. “I think Dennis was surprised at how easy it was for him to get a takedown the first time, and he didn’t feel it would be that easy again. Dennis may be disappointed, but I know he’s not ashamed. He’s worked very hard to get to this point.”

Koslowski had retired after the 1988 Games and become the U.S. coach in 1989 and 1990. He resigned to resume his chiropractic career in Minnesota, only to be lured back to wrestling full time last year.

“We were at the dinner table one night in July, and my wife (Sylvie) says, ‘Dennis, I think you ought to go back to wrestling. You’re the best in the U.S., and I think you can medal again.’ ”

It didn’t take much coaxing.

“Dennis is a guy who wants perfection, and he was beating up on the No. 1 guys in practice,” Houck said. “I think that was tough for him to take--guys who weren’t willing to work as hard as he had. It’s in his blood.”

Greco-Roman Medalists

115 POUNDS

GOLD: Jon Ronningen (Norway)

SILVER: Alfred Ter-Mkrttchian (CIS)

BRONZE: Min Kyung Kap (South Korea)

150 POUNDS

OLD: Attila Repka (Hungary)

SILVER: Islam Dougoutchiev (CIS)

BRONZE: Rodney Smith (United States)

220 POUNDS

GOLD: Hector Milian (Cuba)

SILVER: Dennis Koslowski (United States)

BRONZE: Serguei Demiachkievitch (CIS)