OLYMPIC SPORT PREVIEW: HE'S OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER VETERAN FREESTYLER DOUGLAS HAD ROUGH '96 GAMES, BUT HE'S FIGURED IT OUT NOW.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

Olympic freestyle wrestler Melvin Douglas, at 37 by far the U.S. team's oldest member, doesn't see his age as a disadvantage.

Quite the opposite, actually.

People don't realize how important the thinking aspect of amateur wrestling is, and that's where Douglas has an edge.

``Wrestling's 99 percent mental,'' said Douglas, a 213-pounder from Topeka, Kan. ``I train to wrestle mentally. That's why I'm still around even though I'm older than everyone else by at least five years.''

For Douglas, knowing the right moves - and what opponents are going to do - is important but not crucial. He's more keen not to get caught up in the hoopla.

``That's what happened last time at the '96 Olympics,'' said Douglas, the 2000 team's only returnee. ``I got all hooked up in the hype, of being part of a dream. It was overwhelming.''

Douglas, coming off four major-tournament championships in 1995, finished seventh in Atlanta.

``I was real disappointed,'' he said. ``I had always made it to the world championships and thought for sure I would finish in the top three at the '96 Olympics.''

Douglas said it's important this time not to get rattled by officials.

``Sometimes, you have to deal with the officials just as much as you have to deal with your opponent,'' he said. ``If they make a bad call, you have to take what they give you.''

The last four years have been hectic, but Douglas knew he'd have to make sacrifices to make it back.

``I've been coming to Colorado Springs to train two weeks out of the month, all year long,'' Douglas said. ``I have three kids, aged 3, 11 and 16, so it's been a big hassle. The kids are at an age where they really need me in their lives. But they're used to it because I've never really been able to be there on a daily basis. They're like, `Oh you're leaving, dad? See you later.' After the Olympics, I'm just going to kick back, take care of those three and assess everything.''

Like a lot of wrestlers, Douglas started out as a football player. He was an all-state running back/linebacker in Topeka.

``I wrestled a little bit in junior high when I was 13 just because my brothers did it,'' he said. ``Then I tried out for the team and I just pinned everyone. I ended up winning three state championships and ended up going to Oklahoma on a wrestling scholarship, not a football scholarship.''

At Oklahoma, Douglas won the NCAA championship in 1985 and 1986. He was third in the 1987 Olympic Festival and a 1988 runner-up at the Olympic Trials.

WRESTLING

Competition dates: Greco-Roman, Sept. 24-27; Freestyle, Sept. 28-Oct. 1

Events: Greco-Roman and freestyle both have eight weight divisions, ranging from 54 kilograms (119 pounds) to 130 kilograms (286 pounds).

History: Greco-Roman made its Olympic debut in Athens in 1896 with one division (super heavyweight); Additional weight classes were added for the 1908 London Games. Freestyle started in the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis.

How the U.S. will fare: In freestyle, Douglas, Terry Brands (Lincoln, Neb., 128 pounds), Sammie Henson (Norman, Okla., 119), Cary Kolat (Morgantown, W. Va., 139), Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa, 152) and Kerry McCoy (Bethleham, Penn., 286) have good shots to win gold medals.

In Greco-Roman, watch for Steven Mays (Pensacola, Fla. 119), Kevin Bracken (Chicago, 139), Heath Sims (Huntington Beach, 152), Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb., 168), Quincey Clark (New Brighton, Minn., 187) and Rulon Gardner (Afton, Wyo., 286). All six have competed for the U.S. in the World Championships.

Did you know? Greco-Roman wrestling (no holds below the hips) wasn't created in Greece or Rome. Its origins can be traced to 19th-century France and was called Greco-Roman to honor the cultures that are credited with originating modern sports.

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