By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
PARIS, France - Kyle Dake won his second career Olympic medal when he captured a bronze medal in men’s freestyle at 74 kg at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Dake made an amazing comeback in the final minute of the match to defeat World champion and three-time World medalist Hetik Cabolov of Serbia, 10-4.

Dake led 1-0 at the break on a step out. It was in the second period that things went a bit crazy, and there was some controversy concerning scoring. Cabolov was placed on a shot clock and did not score, making it 2-0 for Dake. However official conferred and changed it to a step out and a 1-1 tie. The USA challenged but action continued and Cabolov got a takedown, 3-1. The USA challenged and it was denied, making it 4-1. Dake came back with a takedown with 31 seconds left to trail 4-3. He got behind Cabolov and launched him with a five-point back arch, sealing the 10-4 win.

It was Dake’s second career Olympic bronze medal, to go with his bronze from Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Dakie is also a four-time World champion, and a 2023 World silver medalist. Cabolov was a World champion for Russia, before switching affiliation to Serbia, where he has won a World medal.

Dake was defeated in the semifinals by 2023 World bronze medalist Daichi Takatani of Japan, 20-12. Takatani took a five-point lead before Dake closed it to 9-8 in the second period. However, Takatani got two turns at a key juncture in the second period and was able to hold off Dake’s attempt for a comeback.

He was dominant in his first two victories, a 10-0 technical fall over Anthony Montero Chirinos of Venezuela, and a pin of tough Yones Emamichoghaei of Iran in 5:37.

Dake was a four-time NCAA champion from Cornell, and is a native of Lansing, N.Y.

Team USA also guaranteed themselves another medal on Sunday, when unseeded Kennedy Blades qualified for the gold-medal finals at 76 kg in women’s freestyle.

Blades, who is just 20 years old and competing in her first Olympics, won a wide-open 8-6 match over No. 1 seed Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan. 

Blades opened the scoring with a double leg takedown, right after getting put on a shot clock, Medet Kyzy responded with a takedown to tie it 2-2. Blades forced a step out to lead 3-2 at the break. Blades added a takedown for a 5-2 lead. When Kyrgyzstan challenged, it was denied making it 6-2. Blades quickly struck on a takedown to stretch it to 8-2. Medet Kyzy was able to get a takedown and turn to tighten it to 8-6 but could not score in the closing seconds.

Blades, 2021 U20 World champion, beat Olympic silver medalist and six-time World champion Adeline Gray to make the USA Olympic Team. Medet Kyzy, a 2023 World silver medalist and 2021 World bronze medalist, was fifth in the 2020 Olympics.

She opened with a powerful 11-0 technical fall over 2020 European bronze medalist and No. 4 seed Catalina Axente of Romania. In the quarterfinals, Blades edged 2019 U23 World champion and No. 5 seed Milaimys Marin Portillo of Cuba, 4-3.

Blades, who attended Arizona State and trained with the Sunkist Kids, has signed with the University of Iowa.

2016 Olympic champion and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Kyle Snyder will have a chance to compete for a third Olympic medal on Sunday. Snyder, seeded No. 3, was defeated in the 97 kg men’s freestyle finals by 2023 World champion Akhmed Tazhudinov of Bahrain, 6-4.

Snyder led 1-0 after Tazhudinov did not score on a shot clock. Tazhudinov responded with a takedown and led 2-1 at the break. In the second period, Tazhudinov added a takedown and a turn to lead 6-1 with 44 seconds left. Snyder forced a step out and added a takedown with five seconds left to close it to 6-4, but could not score again.

On Saturday morning, Snyder opened with a 9-5 win over 2023 Asian silver medalist Awusayiman Habila of China. In the quarterfinals, he pinned 2021 Pan American Games champion Arturo Silot Torres of Cuba in 3:36.

Snyder is a three-time World champion and has won a World or Olympic medal for nine straight years, setting a U.S. record. He will be going for his 10th medal in a row on Sunday. He will wrestle against the winner of the repechage match between Amarali Azarpira of Iran and Alisher Yergali of Kazakhstan.

Snyder was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time finalist for Ohio State.

2023 World champion and 2022 World silver medalist Zain Retherford became eligible for repechage after No. 2 seed and 2022 World champion Rahman Amouzadkhali of Iran beat 2023 World champion Ismail Musukaev of Hungary in the semifinals, 10-0 at 65 kg. Amouzadkhali beat Retherford in the opening round. Only those who lose to a finalist may enter the repechage.

Later this evening, it was announced that Retherford had withdrew from the repechage match due to medical precaution.

Retherford was a three-time NCAA champion for Penn State.

Two U.S. wrestlers from Group 5 were eliminated on Friday, when the athlete who beat them failed to reach the finals, 2023 World bronze medalist Mason Parris at 125 kg in men’s freestyle and two-time World silver medalist and two-time Olympian Kayla Miracle at 62 kg in women’s freestyle. Miracle placed seventh at 62 kg, while Parris finished 10th at 125 kg

The United States has now won six medals at Olympic Games Paris 2024, with three in women’s freestyle and three in men’s freestyle. In addition to Dake’s bronze, Spencer Lee won a silver medal at 57 kg and Aaron Brooks won a bronze medal at 86 kg.  Winning gold medals in women’s freestyle earlier in the week were Amit Elor at 68 kg and Sarah Hildebrandt at 53 kg and Helen Maroulis added a bronze medal at 57 kg.

The wrestling schedule on Sunday is different than other days because it happens on the day of the Closing Ceremonies in Paris. The repechage begins at 11:00 a.m. local time, followed immediately with the medal matches for Group 6 at 12:00 noon. Paris is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time, so the session begins at 5:00 a.m. ET

OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024

At Paris, France, August 10

Group 5 results

Men's Freestyle 74 kg

Gold - Razambek Jamalov (Uzbekistan)

Silver - Daichi Takatani (Japan)

Bronze – Kyle Dake (United States)

Bronze - Cherman Valiev (Albania)

5th - Hetik Cabalov (Serbia)

5th - Viktor Rassadin (Tajikistan)

7th - Yones Aliakbar Emamichoghaiei (Iran)

8th - Feng Lu (China)

9th - Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (Independent Neutral Athlete)

10th - Taimuraz Salkazanov (Slovakia)

Gold - Razambek Jamalov (Uzbekistan) pin Daichi Takatani (Japan), 2:12

Bronze – Kyle Dake (United States) dec. Hetik Cabalov (Serbia), 10-4

Bronze - Cherman Valiev (Albania) dec. Viktor Rassadin (Tajikistan), 6-2

Men's Freestyle 125 kg

Gold - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia0

Silver - Amir Zare (Iran), 10-9

Bronze – Taha Akgul (Turkey)

Bronze - Giorgi Meshvildshvili (Azerbaijan)

5th - Aiaii Lazarev (Kyrgyzstan)

5th - Robert Baran (Poland)

7th - Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)

8th - Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia)

9th - Amarveer Dhesi (Canada)

10th - Mason Parris (USA)

Gold - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) dec. Amir Zare (Iran), 10-9

Bronze – Taha Akgul (Turkey) vs. Aiaii Lazarev (Kyrgyzstan), 7-0

Bronze - Giorgi Meshvildshvili (Azerbaijan) dec. Robert Baran (Poland), 9-3

Women's Freestyle 62 kg

Gold - Sakura Motoki (Japan)

Silver - Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine)

Bronze – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze - Grace Bullen (Norway)

5th - Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia)

5th - Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada)

7th - Kayla Miracle (USA)

8th -  Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria)

9th -  Luisa Niemesch (Germany)

10th - Johanna Lindborg (Sweden)

Gold - Sakura Motoki (Japan) tech fall Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine), 12-1

Bronze – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia), 6-6

Bronze - Grace Bullen (Norway) tech. fall Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada), 11-0

Group 5 U.S. men’s freestyle results

74 kg – Kyle Dake, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC), Bronze Medal

WIN Anthony Montero Chirinos (Venezuela), tech fall, 10-0

WIN Yones Emamichoghaei (Iran), pin 5:37

LOSS Daichi Takatani (Japan), 20-12

WIN Hetik Cabolov (Serbia), 10-4

125 kg – Mason Parris, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), 10th place

LOSS Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia), 10-5

Group 5 U.S. women’s freestyle results

62 kg – Kayla Miracle, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 7th place

WIN Nesrin Bas (Turkey), tech. fall 12-2

LOSS Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), 6-6

Group 6 finals pairings

Men’s Freestyle 65 kg - Kotaro Kiyooka (Japan) vs Rahman Amouzadkhalili (Iran)

Men’s Freestyle 97 kg - Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia) vs. Akhmed Tazhudinov (Bahrain)

Women’s Freestyle 76 kg - Kennedy Blades (United States) vs. Yuka Kagami (Japan)

Group 6 semifinal results

Men’s Freestyle 65 kg

Kotaro Kiyooka (Japan) dec. Tulga Tumur-Ochir (Mongolia), 5-1

Rahman Amouzadkhalili (Iran) tech fall Ismail Musukaev (Hungary), 10-0

Men’s Freestyle 97 kg

Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia) dec. Magomedkhan Magomedov (Azerbaijan), 5-0

Akhmed Tazhudinov (Bahrain) dec. Kyle Snyder (United States), 6-4

Women’s Freestyle 76 kg

Kennedy Blades (United States) dec. Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 8-6

Yuka Kagami (Japan) dec. Tatiana Renteria (Colombia), 4-2

Group 6 U.S. men’s freestyle results

65 kg – Zain Retherford, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC), withdrew with injury

LOSS Rahman Amouzadkhali (Iran), 8-0

LOSS Islam Dudaev (Albania), medical forfeit

97 kg – Kyle Snyder, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)

WIN Awusayiman Habila (China), 9-5

WIN Arturo Silot Torres (Cuba), pin 3:26

LOSS Akhmed Tazhudinov (Bahrain), 6-4

Bronze medal bout – vs. winner of Amarali Azarpira (Iran) vs. Alisher Yergali (Kazakhstan)

Group 6 U.S. women’s freestyle results

76 kg – Kennedy Blades, Chicago, Ill. (Sunkist Kids)

WIN Catalina Axente (Romania), tech fall 11-0

WIN Milaimys Marin Portillo (Cuba), 4-3

WIN Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 8-6

Gold medal bout – Vs. Yuka Kagami (Japan)