(22 July 1996; Day 03)
A year ago, Brandon PAULSON was just another collegiate 118-pounder. Wrestling for the University of Minnesota, he failed to place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships, the championship event for the United States' top collegiate wrestlers, in 1995. His size worked against him.
A year later, after electing to take a year off from his collegiate career to train full-time for an Olympic berth, PAULSON stands on the verge of accomplishing what he set out to do.
PAULSON, wrestling at 52kg, is one of two American wrestlers vying for a berth in the gold-medal match Tuesday morning at the Georgia World Congress Center. Meanwhile, the gold and silver medalists from the 1992 Olympic Games, Jon RONNINGEN of Norway and Alfre TER-MKRTCHYAN of Germany, respectively, are nowhere to be found in the semifinal pairings.
After throwing Joel BASALDUA of Peru to his back early and pinning him at 1 minute, 37 seconds in the first round, PAULSON took the mat for his second-round match against Ibad AKHMEDOV of Belarus, who had beaten PAULSON twice in February.
But this was a different PAULSON. He used his patented "high-dive" shot to score three takedowns, the last a dump outside the end line for 3 points, for a convincing 6-1 victory and a semifinal matchup against Yordan ANEV of Bulgaria.
"I'm just mentally tougher now," PAULSON said. "I knew he was tough. But when I wrestled him last time, I was working out with college guys, and now I'm wrestling with a lot more intensity. I just attacked him and didn't give him a chance to do anything."
PAULSON, 22, started the 1996 international-style season No. 3 on the American depth chart at 52kg. He upset two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon at the Olympic Trials at the beginning of June and has been making believers of others ever since.
"When I get on the mat, I'm the best in the world," PAULSON said. "Off the mat I'm humble, but if you don't have confidence on the mat you don't have a chance. I believe I'm going to win a medal. I wouldn't be wrestling if I didn't."
This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Betty Posey.
Select another day:
Pre | July | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | August | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Post |
| An estimated 5.3 million visted Centennial Olympic Park between opening day - 13 July - and closing day - 4 August, making the park the most single most visited Olympic site during the Games. |