By Gary D’Amato

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

(MCT)

BEIJING — Ben Askren’s wrestling style is to overwhelm opponents with his offense.

It’s Askren’s defense that the U.S. freestyle coaches were worried about going into the Olympic Games.

Now we know why.

Cuba’s Ivan Fundora never let Askren get on track in their second-round match at 74 kilograms (163 pounds) this morning and won, 3-1, 4-0, at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium.

When two-time Olympic champion Buvaysa Saytiev of Russia beat Fundora in the quarterfinals, Askren, of Hartland, Wis., lost his chance to wrestle back for the bronze medal and was out of the tournament.

“I lost. I don’t know what to say,” an inconsolable Askren said, tears spilling down his cheeks. “My dreams are crushed. I don’t know what you guys want to hear from me.”

The 24-year-old Askren was asked if inexperience was a factor. Though he was a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Missouri he is relatively new to freestyle after wrestling folk-style in college.

“That wasn’t it,” he said, sobbing. “I just wasn’t good enough. I suck.”

Askren predicted that he was going to win the gold medal in Beijing but his inability to defend his legs was exploited by Fundora, 32, the bronze medal-winner at the 2004 Athens Games.

Fundora kept overpowering Askren and scoring takedowns, three in the first period and four in the second.

“In college Ben got away with allowing people to get to his legs,” U.S. assistant coach Shawn Charles said. “The Cuban is one of the best leg attackers in the world. It all came down to one guy’s style trumping another guy’s style.”

Charles said he thought the crushing disappointment would make Askren better in the long run.

“The kid’s a winner,” Charles said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s going to get better. Right now, it’s a setback but he’ll be back. He didn’t achieve what he wanted to do. I’m pretty sure this is going to motivate him.”

Askren won his first match, pinning Istvan Vereb of Hungary 44 seconds into the second period.

Askren started slowly and Vereb caught him in single- and double-leg takedowns to win the first period, 2-0.

“He didn’t get his attacks off,” U.S. head coach Kevin Jackson said. “He just kind of stood around. I told him to get more aggressive.”

Askren listened. He went on the attack in the second period and quickly scored two takedowns against the 20-year-old Vereb.

Vereb then shot for another single leg but Askren made a lightning-quick counter into a cradle and it was over.

Jackson predicted going into the Games that Askren would either dominate or would lose to more experienced wrestlers and would have to adapt his style for the future.

“I think either he dominates or he shows some holes in baseline positions,” Jackson said. “When I watch him wrestle, he’s got some flaws in his baseline positions.”

“Either he’ll win and he’ll continue to get better in every area or he’ll lose and realize he has to make the adjustments to do the correct things that world champions all do in baseline positions.”