When Rulon Gardner pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history at the 2000 Sydney Games, Greco-Roman wrestling was thrust into the spotlight for a few heady days before slipping back into its usual niche as a small sport with a passionate following.

And when the U.S. Greco-Roman team won a gold medal in the team competition at the world championships two weeks ago, hardly anyone else noticed. But within the Greco-Roman scene, the unprecedented feat was considered even bigger than Gardner's historic victory over Alexander Karelin, which ended the Russian's 13-year unbeaten streak.

"This is the greatest day in the history of U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling," USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender said of the gold medal his Greco team won Sept. 19 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Heavyweight Dremiel Byers of Colorado Springs clinched the team gold with a bronze medal. Other U.S. medalists included Brad Vering, also based at the Olympic Training Center, who took silver in the 84-kilogram weight class and Harry Lester of Akron, Ohio, who took bronze in the 120-kilogram class.

The U.S. also won four medals in freestyle at worlds, three by women. The Greco-Roman team gold was the first for the U.S. The team finished third in 2001 and 2006.

"I was ecstatic," said Gardner, a former training partner of Byers' who retired after winning a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. "I received a text from Byers that he took third, and I was so happy for him. It just shows the hard work and dedication of the Greco national team, and how they continue to strive to be the best in the world."

Head coach Steve Fraser, who won the first U.S. Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman at the 1984 Olympics, has built the U.S. into a force since taking the job 12 years ago this month.

"It's been a struggle, but it means so much to us," Fraser said. "I've gotten hundreds and hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from people congratulating us. It's a great, great feeling for us."

The U.S. program had a long way to go when Fraser took over, but much like U.S. Skiing chief executive Bill Marolt setting a "Best in the World" goal, or former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney circling Nebraska on the schedule, Fraser declared his goal was nothing less than world championships.

"I wanted to get people believing we could do this," Fraser said. "The way we did it, we just started talking about it. We started putting that out there and being public about our goals. Once you become public, and you start putting it out there, now you've got to put your money where your mouth is."

In the U.S., freestyle wrestling attracts greater numbers because Greco-Roman requires a more difficult adjustment from the "folkstyle" practiced at the high school and collegiate level. Fraser made his wrestlers believe.

"He's had this vision, 'We're going to do this someday, we're going to win the worlds as a team,"' Vering said. "A lot of people were like, 'We're too far behind because the folkstyle competition, it's just so different from Greco-Roman.' These (international opponents) grow up wrestling Greco their whole life."

Byers spent much of his career in the shadow of Gardner, although he won a world championships gold medal in 2002 when Gardner was recovering from the frostbite he suffered when stranded in the Wyoming wilderness.

Byers wasn't satisfied with his bronze medal in Azerbaijan, even if it did clinch the team title.

"It's like getting a small plate at a feast that you've been waiting for all day, just a small plate," Byers said. "It's not as sweet as it should be. Maybe a Splenda. Sweet tea with Splenda, that's what it is."