Gymnasts, wrestlers steady U.S.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- A slow start for U.S. teams at the Pan American Games on Saturday was rescued by women gymnasts and Rulon Gardner and his fellow wrestling Olympians.

Gardner, whose upset of the supposedly unbeatable Alexander Karelin in the 2002 Olympics made him a national hero, won his first Pan Ams match 4-0 over Edwin Millet of Puerto Rico. In the midst of a comeback from a 2002 snowmobiling accident that resulted in the amputation of a toe, Gardner believes he is not in top form yet.

He looked fine against the overmatched Millet.

"I want to win the Pan American Games, then the world championships next month and then hopefully represent the U.S. in Athens," he said.

Three other U.S. wrestlers with Olympic experience also won their first matches: Brandon Paulson, James Gruenwald and Kevin Bracken.

The U.S. gymnasts beat Canada and Brazil in the team competition, led by teenagers Nastia Liukin and Chellsie Memmel.

Liukin, 13, of Plano, Texas, scored 37.474 in four events (uneven bars, floor exercise, balance beam, vault), best in the field. American teammate Chellsie Memmel, 15, of West Allis, Wisc., had the second highest score.

"We all had a good meet and we all did great as a team, trying to help each other," Liukin said. "We are very excited to be the first U.S. gold medalist at the 2003 Pan American Games."

That helped soothe decisive U.S. losses in women's basketball and handball and a scoreless tie in men's field hockey.

In women's fencing, the team saber and foil events were canceled in May, but the U.S. contingent said it was not alerted until Saturday. Sada Jacobson of Atlanta is the world's top-ranked fencer in saber, making the Americans a strong possibility for team gold. She was undefeated in pool play and went for an individual medal later in the day, as did her younger sister, Emily.

The U.S. Olympic Committee is seeking a clarification of the decision from the Pan American Sports Organization, which told delegates two days ago that every scheduled event would be held.

"It was not communicated to the U.S. delegation, or somehow it got lost," said Suzie Paxton, a spokeswoman for U.S. Fencing.