With only 20 seconds left, the situation looked bleak for Gable Steveson in the 125kg freestyle wrestling final.
The 2021 NCAA champion trailed Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili 8-5, so he needed points quick, fast and in a hurry.
The question was, could Stevenson muster up a final push to win gold? Did he have that inner drive to snatch the victory away and follow in the footsteps of his Team USA wrestling teammate, Tamyra Mensah-Stock?
You see, on Tuesday, Tamyra made history.
She defeated Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu for the gold medal in Women’s Freestyle 68kg. That made her the first U.S. Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
She also became the second U.S. woman to win Olympic gold; Helen Maroulis was the first to do it at the 2016 Rio Games.
Both Steveson and Mensah-Stock are the latest examples of African-American success in wrestling.
It’s a rich and storied history that not many are aware of. It’s one we explored in our story about the deep roots of Black excellence in NCAA wrestling.
At this year’s NCAA wrestling tournament in March, five Black champions were crowned out of the ten weight divisions.
Gable Steveson was one of those champions, winning the 285 lbs. division
Gable is Minnesota-born and raised.
He ascended up the wrestling ranks and become a Junior World champion in 2017. He attended the University of Minnesota and this year he won the 2021 NCAA championship. Steveson was also a co-winner of the 2021 Hodge Award, presented annually to the nation’s best collegiate wrestler.
Women’s wrestling is on the NCAA’s “Emerging Sport” list, so there is no official NCAA title. However, the sport is governed by the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) and Tamyra was a 2x WCWA national champion at Wayland Baptist University in Texas.
Regardless of sanctioning body, both of these collegiate champions walk in the footsteps of those who preceded them.
Black Olympic Wrestling History
For Gable, the path is more well-traveled.
Harold Henson opened the doors for Black wrestlers at the collegiate level in 1949. Simon Roberts of Iowa (147 lbs) continued Henson’s mission and became the sport’s first Black NCAA champion in 1957.
Olympic success didn’t occur until 1964 when Bobby Douglas, Charles Tribble, and Robert Pickens became the first Black wrestlers on the U.S. Olympic team. Ironically, it was in Tokyo. Douglas was also named captain of the team at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
Medal success arrived in 1988 at the Games in Seoul when Kenny Monday became the first Black U.S. wrestler to win Olympic gold. Fours years later at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Kevin Jackson won gold, and Chris Campbell, a 2x Olympian, won bronze.
The next Olympic gold was won by Jordan Burroughs at the 2012 London Games.
Another notable Black Olympic wrestler is former UFC star, Daniel Cormier. He was a two-time Olympian and captain of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team but couldn’t compete due to injury.
The history of women’s Olympic wrestling isn’t as lengthy. It (freestyle wrestling) was only added to the Olympics in 2004 in Athens.
While its history is still in its infancy, that doesn’t detract from the significance of Tamyra Mensah-Stock’s gold medal win or her even more emotional post-match press conference.
And she continues what Toccara Montgomery first started.
In 2001, Mongomery became the first Black woman to medal at the World Championships, where she won silver. She repeated that feat in 2003 and a year later, she became the first Black wrestler on the U.S. women’s Olympic team that made its Games debut in Athens.
She finished 7th but her place in the sport’s history is forever solidified.
At the 2020 Games, two Black women were on the U.S. wrestling team- Tamyra and Jacarra Winchester. Winchester, an Oakland native, lost in the bronze medal round and finished 5th overall.
Both Mensah Stock and Winchester pursue what Toccara Montgomery started 17 years ago, and their success will further open the doors for Black women in wrestling.
“It means that they see someone like themselves on that podium,” said Tamyra when asked what her gold medal means to young girls watching her. “Just because you’re a female doesn’t mean that can’t accomplish the biggest of goals. And being an Olympic champ is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.
“And I can say that it’s well worth it.”
Gable ultimately secured his place in Olympic history on Friday.
He scored two quick points with 10 seconds left. And then, with only .4 seconds remaining, he scored a two-point takedown and shocked the world.
His stunning victory secured his place in wrestling history as only the fourth Black U.S. Olympic wrestler to win gold.
“What I pulled out in this match is something from deep inside that you have to do it sometimes,” said Steveson. “You have to give your best heart, you got to lay it on the line, whether you’re gassed out or you got full energy.”
Black wrestlers continue to show and prove and lay it on the line, so expect more Olympic and collegiate success from them in the future.
