Americans pull off stunning upsets

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2000 | 11:17 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

SYDNEY, Australia -- Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in miracles?

The United States pulled off not one but two big Olympic upsets today. One of the latest shockers came in the obscure sport of Greco-Roman wrestling, the other in the national pastime.

A 29-year-old man from Wyoming, who had never won a world or NCAA title, beat a Russian generally considered the best Greco-Roman wrestler ever in the superheavyweight gold-medal match.

Then in the nightcap, an American baseball team made up of mostly minor-leaguers took the gold 4-0 over a veteran Cuban team that had lost only once in three Olympic tournaments.

Cuba had won both of the previous baseball golds, hardly breaking a sweat along the way. The Cubans lost to the Netherlands in the preliminary round at the Sydney Games, showing that their international dynasty might be in jeopardy, but handed the Americans their only prelim loss.

Today was different. Starter Ben Sheets, Milwaukee's first-round draft pick last year, threw a complete game and limited the Cubans to just three hits.

Mike Neill hit a first-inning homer, Ernie Young had a bases-loaded single, and Pat Borders smacked an RBI double to account for the U.S. scoring.

When Neill made a sliding catch of Yasser Gomez's fly to left field for the final out, the Americans poured out of the dugout and turned into one big pile of blue jerseys. Manager Tom Lasorda draped himself in the stars-and-stripes and hugged his coaches and players.

Greco-Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner had trouble fathoming his triumph over Alexander Karelin.

Karelin hadn't been just unbeatable -- he had been untouchable.

He hadn't lost in 13 years, winning three gold medals in the process. He hadn't been scored on in 10 years. He has a lift named after him. Great wrestlers gave up rather than be thrown around by him.

But, in the end, Gardner just outmuscled Karelin. The American forced the Russian to break a clinch and was awarded the only point of the match.

"When did I think I could beat him? About 10 minutes ago," Gardner said. "I kept saying, 'I think I can. I think I can.' But it wasn't until it was over that I knew I could."

Gardner's supporters mobbed him on the mat, but even they couldn't bring him down.

The United States pushed its medal total to 69 (29 gold, 15 silver, 25 bronze) at the end of competition today. Russia followed with 55 (18-16-21) and China had 51 (22-14-15).