There’s No Time Like the Present for Gardner

Nothing Rulon Gardner does will surpass his stunning upset of Greco-Roman wrestling legend Alexander Karelin at the Sydney Olympics. And he’s smart enough not to waste the rest of his life trying to re-create that singular moment.

Instead, the Wyoming native has set his sights on the present and on overcoming the obstacles placed in his path by misfortune and his own missteps.

Gardner won the Olympic trials challenge tournament Saturday in the 264.5-pound class by defeating Corey Farkas in the semifinals and dominating Paul Devlin, 5-0, in the final before an appreciative crowd of 8,639 at the RCA Dome. Gardner will wrestle Dremiel Byers today in a best-of-three series to determine who will represent the U.S. at the Athens Games, a matchup of the 2001 and 2002 world champions, respectively, and Gardner’s farewell if he loses.

The national champions in each weight class had byes Friday and Saturday and will face the challenge tournament winners today for spots on the Athens Olympic team. The U.S. can send seven men’s freestyle wrestlers, six Greco-Roman wrestlers and four women’s freestyle wrestlers to the Summer Games.

Gardner lost to Byers at the U.S. championships last month, days after he’d dislocated his right wrist playing pickup basketball. Gardner had previously endured the painful process of relearning how to balance himself after he lost a toe to frostbite in a snowmobile accident in February 2002.

“To me, to get back to the Olympics would be a whole new dream,” Gardner said. “Making a comeback would be just as good as making the team the first time.”

With his parents, six siblings and two brothers-in-law watching from a suite, Gardner fought off Farkas’ attempts to go after his weak wrist and won by a fall. Against Devlin, he resisted his opponent’s attempts to draw him off balance and turned Devlin over twice, in addition to getting a fleeing-a-hold point.

“I have 32 years of wisdom and moves,” Gardner said, “and if I don’t use them now, I may never use them.”

Sammie Henson of St. Louis, a freestyle silver medalist at Sydney at 119 pounds, pulled off the most dramatic rally. Trailing Teague Moore, 3-0, with about 30 seconds left, he managed a takedown, a turn, a hold and another turn to earn six points and advance to today’s finale against Stephan Abas of Fresno.

“Thirty seconds is a long time in freestyle wrestling,” Henson said. “I just wasn’t taking advantage of him. I was holding back. But he started getting tired and once I got on top I held on and knew I had it.”

Kristie Marano, who moved up a class after weighing in a pound too heavy to use her bye as the champion in the 138.75-pound class, made it to today’s championship series with ease. The Albany, N.Y., native beat Katie Downing, 5-1, in her first match and pinned Stephany Lee in her evening match, supporting her claim that the last-minute switch in classes hadn’t thrown her off mentally or strategically.

“I’m in the fortunate situation where I’ve wrestled at both weight classes,” she said. “I’ve wrestled enough to know what I can do.”

Her opponent today will be Toccara Montgomery, a two-time world silver medalist and three-time U.S. champion. “I’m back to where I started. I got to the finals,” said Marano, who won two of the duo’s previous three matches. “I’m just going to do what I can.”

Iowan Cael Sanderson won twice Saturday by 7-2 scores and earned a rematch with Lee Fullhart, who defeated him for the 185-pound freestyle national title.

“He’s tough and he’s going to be ready to go, just like I am,” Sanderson said. “If I can wrestle well, I should be right in there.”