Summer Olympics 2000 Rules interpretation helps doom Slay

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Saturday, September 30
Rules interpretation helps doom Slay
Associated Press

SYDNEY, Australia -- Brandon Slay's inexperience in world-class wrestling showed in his first Olympic final, and he lost. Sammie Henson's experience did not show, and he lost, too.

The United States' two-day wrestling winning streak ended abruptly Saturday with gold-medal match losses that saw Slay struggle with international decorum and Henson struggle with intentional distraction.

Americans had won 12 consecutive matches, four earlier in the day by wrestlers who moved into medal contention Sunday, before Henson lost 4-3 to Namig Abdullayev of Azerbaijan at 119 pounds (54 kg) and Slay lost 4-0 to Alexander Leipold of Germany at 167½ pounds (76 kg).

Slay, in his first major international meet, was perhaps the most impressive of the American freestylers until being frustrated by rules interpretations that cost him three of Leipold's four points.

Henson, who had beaten his opponent in the 1998 world finals, was bothered when Abdullayev defended himself by constantly grabbing at the straps of Henson's singlet.

"They wouldn't let me wrestle," said Slay, a 25-year-old Texan who drew loud jeering after the match for not shaking hands with the referee.

As Slay and Leipold locked into the clinch that starts the second period when there is no score, Slay apparently disregarded instructions to position his shoulder the way the referee wanted.

After several seconds, the referee abruptly stopped, cautioned Slay and called him for an illegal hold, giving Leipold a 2-0 lead. Leipold was later given another point when Slay was cautioned again, apparently for grabbing the hands as Leipold applied a gut wrench. Leipold's only point on a move was a takedown with 5:11 gone.

Scoring decisions are not always explained at the Olympics, not even to the wrestlers and coaches.

"I've got news for you, I've been doing this for 10 years and it's confusing to me, too," U.S. coach Bruce Burnett said. "I saw one wrestler aggressive and trying to score and another not being aggressive at all. I saw a lot of points going up, but not a lot being scored."

Despite their 17-5 record so far in Sydney, U.S. freestylers have had trouble with the clinch rule that may have cost Slay his match. The wrestlers must remain locked until one executes a scoring move or breaks his hold, in which case his opponent gets a point. That was the only point Rulon Gardner scored in upsetting three-time Olympic champion Alexander Karelin in Greco-Roman.

"I saw the wrestling being taken out of the hands of the wrestlers and being taken over by the officials, and that disappoints me," Burnett said. "Brandon Slay worked very hard to get here."

Henson, who beat Abdullayev for the 1998 world title, all but guaranteed he would win again. However, Abdullayev, the 1996 Olympic silver medalist and one of the most experienced of the 119-pounders, opened a 3-0 lead with 45 seconds gone and never trailed.

Henson came back to tie it, but Abdullayev scored the winning point with a reversal at 4:27 of the 6-minute match.

"I wasn't ready then and I had some injuries," Abdullayev said of that 1998 loss to Henson, who is from St. Charles, Mo. "I was so tired."

Abdullayev found a particularly useful way to fight off Henson scoring attempts, repeatedly pulling on Henson's singlet -- a trick not permitted by the rules but one he was not stopped from using.

"It should be a point for grabbing the clothes _ he was blocking his moves -- but they didn't call it," U.S. co-coach John Smith said.

Henson, who did not talk afterward, began crying as soon as the match ended and still was crying during the medals ceremony 30 minutes later.

Mourad Oumakhanov and Saghid Mourtasaliyev salvaged some of Russia's wrestling pride -- its top three wrestlers in Sydney were all eliminated by Americans -- by winning gold medals.

Oumakhanov won 3-2 at 138} pounds (63 kg) over 1998 world champion Serafim Barzakov of Bulgaria. Mourtasliyev won by the same score over Islam Bairamukov of Kazakstan at 213} pounds (97 kg).

The United States had won the gold medal at 138½ pounds in every Olympics since 1984, but Cary Kolat, also bothered by the clinch rule, was eliminated when he lost a rematch of a bout he had won earlier.

Terry Brands, Lincoln McIlravy, Charles Burton and Kerry McCoy all won their only matches Saturday to win their pools and move into the quarterfinals. All must win three matches Sunday to win gold medals.

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