Aug 6, 2021 - Sports
U.S. heavyweight wrestler Gable Steveson wins Olympic gold in last-second victory
Team USA's Gable Dan Steveson celebrates victory in the men's 125kg freestyle wrestling final against Georgia's Geno Petriashvili. Photo: Valery Sharifulin\TASS via Getty Images
U.S. wrestling heavyweight Gable Steveson won the Olympic men’s freestyle 125kg gold medal on Friday in a last-second victory.
Driving the news: Steveson defeated Georgia's Geno Petriashvili 10-8 to claim the gold medal — and celebrate with a backflip.
The big picture: Steveson outscored his opponents 23-0 in the first three rounds of the Olympics, per ESPN.
- Petriashvili, a three-time world champion who was an Olympic bronze medalist in the class in 2016, led Steveson 8-5 up until the final minute, when Steveson pulled out on top.
- Steveson, 21, whose middle name is Dan, is named after Dan Gable, 1972 Olympic 68kg gold medalist and one of the most renowned coaches in U.S. wrestling history, per USA Today.