Wrestler back with Beijing gold in mind

Patricia Miranda doesn’t believe in filling her schedule with easy opponents.

She shouldn’t find many in her comeback from the worst injury of her wrestling career.

The Colorado Springs resident, fresh off nearly six months of rehabilitation, will put her surgically repaired right knee to the test Feb. 29 through March 2 in the Pan American Championships at the Olympic Training Center.

The event is the second of four qualifiers for the Beijing Games in August. The U.S. must qualify six weight classes — 132, 163 and 212 in Greco-Roman; 121 and 132 in men’s freestyle; and 121 in women’s freestyle — to field an 18-person Olympic team.

Miranda, 28, hasn’t wrestled competitively since she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in August. She underwent surgery in September, then began a rehabilitation program that featured as many as five hours of work every day for three months.

“I’ve learned a lot,” said Miranda, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the 105.5-pound women’s freestyle division. “If you rehab well, there are things that are amazingly stronger. My core strength and my balance are better than before.”

Miranda’s toughest challenge in the Pan American Championships will come from Canadian Erica Sharp, a seven-time world championships participant. Sharp was a bronze medalist at the 2007 world championships.

U.S. women’s freestyle coach Terry Steiner said he’s not worried about Miranda’s return.

“My biggest concern is that we step on the mat with some hesitancy,” Steiner said. “She doesn’t seem to have that right now. She seems to be confident.”

Asked if she has enough time to prepare for Beijing, Miranda said, “I think it’s enough to get gold.”

Wrestlers win dual

Four Colorado Springs men’s freestyle wrestlers won matches Tuesday to lift the U.S. past Belarus 25-19 in Albuquerque.

Shawn Bunch won both of his matches, Ramico Blackmon won his only match and Angel Cejudo and Phillip Simpson went 1-1. Bryce Hasseman went 0-1, and Henry Cejudo was 0-2.

Judo tournament

Two OTC residents posted runner-up finishes Feb. 9 at the Buddhist Sensei Memorial, a judo tournament in San Jose, Calif.

Shane Simerly took second in the 145.5-pound division. Myles Porter (220.5) placed second to regain his national team status.

Corrigan struggles

Colorado Springs gymnast Geoff Corrigan finished 25th on Feb. 9 at the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas. He was 14th in parallel bars, 20th in vault, 24th in still rings, 31st in pommel horse, 32nd in floor exercise and 35th in horizontal bar.

Gymnastics on high

USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny maintains the men’s national team can win another Olympic medal because of its depth.

At the 2004 Athens Games, the U.S. finished second in the team competition and Paul Hamm won a gold medal in the all-around and a silver in the horizontal bar.

“The depth of our men’s team is going to rival any country,” Penny said Wednesday on a conference call. “As these guys continue to progress, we’re going to continue to improve. There’s a strong sense of momentum.”

Ice hockey qualifiers

Six men’s ice hockey teams have qualified for the 2010 Vancouver Games.

The field includes Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic, the three medalists from the 2006 Turin Games. The U.S., Canada and Slovakia also have secured spots in the 12-team tournament.

“There’s going to be a new batch of guys coming in,” Dallas Stars center Mike Modano said Tuesday of the U.S. “They’re going to have their hands full selecting that team. That’s a great problem to have.”