BEIJING • T.C. Dantzler entered the China Agricultural Gymnasium bobbing his head to music.

Dantzler’s stride was unmistakably confident. It was confidence born of his numerous hours of training. It was confidence that came from the knowledge that he can beat and has beaten the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world.

At 37 years and 10 months, Dantzler is the oldest wrestler in the Olympics. This was supposed to be his time to shine, his time to bring back some hardware to Colorado Springs and the Olympic Training Center, where he spent many of those training hours.

Then the match against Hungary’s Peter Bacsi started.

Early in the match, it was apparent that Dantzler was a fraction of a second slower than Bacsi, the current European champion.

“After my weight cut, my reaction was just slow,” Dantzler said. “I wasn’t on my ‘A’ game physically. It wasn’t where it needed to be to be able to counter some of his attacks. He was better then me today – just better than me today.”

Dantzler, who is from Harvey, Ill., but who has called Colorado Springs home since 1995, lost to Bacsi 5-1, 2-2, 3-0.

Dantzler still had a slim chance to go for a medal. But Bacsi had to win his next three matches, making it to the gold medal match. So, Dantzler became Bacsi’s biggest fan. Bacsi won his next two matches in convincing fashion.

In Bacsi’s third match, he was tied with Georgia’s Manuchar Kvirkelia going into the third period. Then one Bacsi mistake ended Dantzler’s day and Olympics. Kvirkelia capitalized on a missed Bacsi grip and pinned the Hungarian.

But as any Greco-Roman wrestler knows, leaving it up to an opponent to give you a chance is a bad way to live. Dantzler didn’t take business when he needed to. And in this instance, taking care of business meant overcoming frustrations of refereeing, too.

Dantzler’s annoyance with referee Regine le Gleut was apparent less than 45 seconds into the first period as was her annoyance to Dantzler.

“I sensed early on in the match that the refs were on my butt,” Dantzler said. “I was trying to do everything right, and I wound up giving up that point in the last period for that technical foul. They said I was closed too long. It changed the dynamics of the match. Instead of it being 1-1, now it’s 2-0, and I need a 3-point move to win.

“You gotta be that good. You gotta be that good to where you’re wrestling against a wrestler and three officials. That was something I knew coming into the match. I just wasn’t able to over come it.”

These Olympics are over for Dantzler who had eight friends and family make the trip. But Dantzler says he’s not done.

“Soon as I get back home, start hitting the grind,” Dantzler said. “Gotta start looking forward to 2012.”

From left: Douglas Bruce, Mark Waller Photo by