SPOKANE, Washington The Iranian wrestlers beat their Canadian rivals 22 to 7 in the second stage of the Spokane 99 World Cup Freestyle Wrestling Championships. The Iranian athletes won their Canadian rivals in six categories but lost in two. The Spokane tournament is highly important as it provides an opportunity for the participating teams to evaluate their potentials in the light of the forthcoming Sydney 2000 Olympics and Ankara International wrestling contests.

In the next stage, the Iranian wrestlers will face their German rivals while the U.S. and Canadian teams will compete against Cuba. In the first round of the competitions U.S. athletes beat their German rivals by gaining 20 scores. (IRNA)