56 years! Yes, you heard it right – it’s been 56 years since USA Wrestling has left the Olympics without a Gold Medal in Men’s Freestyle. Despite strong efforts from Aaron Brooks, Spencer Lee, Mason Parris, Zain Rutherford, and Kyle Dake, the gold has remained just out of grasp. Now, all hopes are riding on Kyle Snyder, competing at 97kg. The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club star is Team USA’s last shot at striking gold.

So far, Kyle Snyder has been on a roll. However, in the Men’s Freestyle 97 kg semifinals, the pairings are Magomedkhan Magomedov (Azerbaijan) vs. Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia) and Kyle Snyder (United States) vs. Akhmed Tazhudinov (Bahrain). Snyder is undefeated against the top side of the bracket, holding a perfect 3-0 record against them. If he can get past Tazhudinov, World Champion and Asian Champion in 2023, this afternoon, he has a chance to seize gold tomorrow.

If Kyle Snyder doesn’t win Gold, it will be the first time since 1968 that the U.S. has gone without a Gold Medal in wrestling at the Olympics. However, Snyder has shown great skill. In his first match, he came from behind to win 9-5 against China’s Hablia Awusayiman. He then secured his spot with a 5-0 victory by pinning Cuba’s Arturo Silot Torres. The match started slowly, with Snyder leading 1-0 after Torres couldn’t score during a 30-second passivity period. Snyder then quickly finished the match with a pin just 40 seconds into the next period.

While looking at his achievements, Kyle Snyder has three NCAA Division I titles and three Big Ten Championships, building on an unbeaten high school career with a 179-0 record. At Ohio State, he went 75-5. Snyder, who broke records as the youngest to achieve several wrestling milestones, earned the wrestling triple crown by besting Khetag Gazyumov in the 2016 Olympics. With 42 medals under his belt, including 30 gold, and only four losses since 2020, Snyder’s track record speaks volumes.

He’s a wrestler who knows how to adapt and deliver. Kyle Snyder’s vast experience is expected to be a game-changer in his quest for a second Olympic gold. But what happened with the rest of the team?

Besides Kyle Snyder; Brooks, Lee, Parris, Retherford, and Dake too were the beacons of the USA

In the tournament, Aaron Brooks had a strong performance. He won 4-3 in Round 1 against Azamat Dauletbekov, securing a key takedown despite a late scare. In the quarterfinals, Brooks dominated Hayato Ishiguro with an 11-1 tech fall, showcasing his offensive prowess. However, he narrowly lost 4-3 to Magomed Ramazanov in the semifinals, missing out on a finals spot. Brooks bounced back in the bronze medal match with a 5-0 win over Javrail Shapiev, securing the bronze with a commanding performance.

In Round 1, Spencer Lee edged Wanhao Zou 3-2 by applying early pressure, scoring a takedown and a shot-clock point before holding on despite a late push from Zou. In the quarterfinals, Lee is set to face Bekzat Almaz Uulu, a two-time U23 World bronze medalist and a formidable opponent. Lee advanced to the semifinals with a dominant 14-4 win over Gulomjon Abdullaev, showcasing his offensive skills with multiple takedowns and turns. However, he fell 4-2 to Rei Higuchi in the finals. Despite a strong start and solid defense, Lee could not fend off Higuchi’s late comeback, resulting in a silver medal finish.

Mason Parris faced a setback at the Paris Olympics when he was defeated 10-5 by Munkhtur Lkhagvagerel of Mongolia in the freestyle wrestling 125 kg weight class. Despite scoring a first-period takedown and briefly leading, Parris struggled to contain Lkhagvagerel’s aggressive moves and was ultimately eliminated. Since Lkhagvagerel lost to No. 6 seed Giorgi Meshvildishvili of Azerbaijan, Parris was not eligible for repechage, ending his Olympic run.

Zain Retherford’s Olympic debut didn’t go as planned, as he was shut out 8-0 by Iran’s Rahman Amouzadkhalili in the 65 kg weight class. Retherford fell behind early with a takedown and additional penalties for inactivity, trailing 6-0 with 2:40 remaining before conceding another takedown.

Kyle Dake trailed 9-4 at the break after a series of wild takedowns and exposures by Takatani. Despite closing the gap to 11-10, Dake gave up two leg laces, falling behind 15-10. The match concluded with a chaotic exchange where Takatani scored four points and Dake two; Dake’s challenge of the call was unsuccessful, resulting in a 20-12 win for the Japanese wrestler. Dake, a three-time world champion, will now compete for bronze tomorrow, while Takatani will face Uzbekistan’s Razambek Salambekovitch Jamalov.

With all the buzz surrounding him, do you think Kyle Snyder can clinch the gold? Share your thoughts in the comments below!