97 kg FS - AUGUST 21 Snyder to face many top stars
The 97 kg bracket at the 2016 Olympic Games holds as much firepower as any in the men’s freestyle competition. Four past World champions and eight total World and Olympic medalists headline what hopes to be a thrilling race for gold. 20-year-old Kyle Snyder of the United
States captured World gold last year on his home soil in his first appearance at the Senior World Championships. Snyder became the youngest World Champion in U.S. history by defeating Russian World champion Abdusalam Gadisov, 5-5, in the gold medal match. Since winning the World title, Snyder has dropped three international bouts. His losses came to World-class oppo- nents Anzor Boltukaev of Russia, Khadshimourad Gatsalov of Russia and Khetag Gazumov of Azerbaijan. Snyder posted an undefeated mark at the Freestyle World Cup in June. He is a two-time Junior World medalist, finishing with gold in 2013 and bronze in 2014. To qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team, Snyder defeated 2012 Olympic Champion Jake Varner best two-of-three in the Olympic Trials finals. Snyder dropped match one to Varner before win- ning bouts two and three in epic fashion. Getting the nod for Russia out of the Gadisov, Boltukaev, Gatsalov trio is 2013
World bronze medalist and current World No. 1 Boltukaev. Nicknamed the “God of Thunder,” Boltukaev won golds at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and European Championships in 2016. Long-time Azerbaijani staple Gazumov has won a grand total of seven World and Olympic medals, dating back to 2009. He was crowned World champion in 2010 and earned bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Last year Gazumov finished in third place at the World Championships after falling to the eventual silver medalist Gadisov in the quarterfinals. Gazumov defeated Snyder at the Grand Prix of Germany by a 2-1 decision. After battling the injury bug the past two years, two-time World champion Reza Yazdani of Iran looks to be heading to the Olympics for the third time since 2008. He failed to medal in both Beijing and London, but has earned World gold in 2011 and 2013, on top of World bronze in 2006 and 2007. In 2016, Yazdani has competed twice internationally, winning gold at the Takhti Cup and Asian Championships. The Ukranian selection is reportedly two-time World medalist Valerii Andriitsev, who finished with the silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games after losing to Varner in the gold-medal match. He won a World bronze medal in 2014 avenging the Olympic loss to Varner. They are leaving two-time World medalist Pavlo Oliinyk at home.
Armenian Georgi Ketoev will make his first return after winning bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games under the Russian banner. He was a World champion for Russia in 2007 and wrestled for the inter- national powerhouse through the 2013 season before transferring to Armenia. Also pulling the Russian switcheroo is
2011 World bronze medalist Albert Saritov, who will compete in Rio for Romania.
Javier Cortina Lacerra of Cuba won a
World bronze medal in 2014, but has posted less than stellar results since. He was an Olympian in 2012.
Kyle Snyder: by Tony Rotundo
Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia has fin- ished in fifth place at the last two World Championships. Other past Olympians in the 97 kg field include Nicolai Ceban of Moldova, Magomed Musaev of Kyrgyzstan and Jose Daniel Diaz Robertti of Venezuela.
KYLE SNYDER
Residence: Woodbine, Md. Club: Titan Mercury WC College: Ohio State High School: Olney, Md. (Our Lady of Good Counsel), Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coronado) Born: Nov. 20, 1995
Age: 20
Past Olympics: None Past Sr. Worlds: 1st (2015) UWW World Rank: No. 4
Career Notes • 2016 U.S. Olympic Team member • 2015 World Champion • 2015 Pan American Games champion • 2016 World Cup champion • 2013 Junior World Champion • 2015 U.S. Open champion • 2014 Junior World bronze medalist • 2016 NCAA champion for Ohio State • Second at the 2015 NCAA Championships
USA Age-group: 2012 Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle… 2011 Cadet National champi- on in both freestyle and Greco-Roman… College: 2016 NCAA champion for Ohio State and second at 2015 NCAA Championships… Member of 2015 NCAA championship team, the first in Ohio State history… Coached by Tom Ryan…
High School: Compiled 179-0 record and three-time Prep School National champion for Our Lady of Good Counsel… Attended and graduated from Coronado High School (Colo.) as a sen- ior, as a Resident-athlete at U.S. Olympic Training Center... Awards: 2015 USA Wrestling Freestyle Wrestler of the Year… 2013 ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year... Personal: Son of Stephen and Tricia Snyder… Has two brothers, Stephen Jr. and Kevin, and one sister, Megan…
17 USA Wrestling Rio Media Guide
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