Gable Steveson facts for kids
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Steveson (left) wrestling against Cory Daniel of North Carolina in December 2018
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 31, 2000 Portage, Indiana, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Minnesota |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in |
| Weight | 265 lb |
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Professional wrestling career
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| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Billed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Billed from | Portage, Indiana, U.S. |
| Trained by | WWE Performance Center Ken Anderson |
| Debut | July 30, 2023 |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Wrestling |
| Event(s) | Freestyle and Folkstyle |
| College team | Gopher WC |
| Club | Minnesota Storm |
| Coached by | Brandon Eggum Dustin Schlatter |
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Football career |
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| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 280 lb (127 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Apple Valley (Minnesota) |
| College: | Minnesota |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's freestyle wrestling | ||
Representing the  United States |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2020 Tokyo | 125 kg |
| Pan American Championships | ||
| Gold | 2021 Guatemala City | 125 kg |
| U20 World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2017 Tampere | 120 kg |
| U17 World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2015 Sarajevo | 100 kg |
| Gold | 2016 Tbilisi | 100 kg |
| Collegiate Wrestling | ||
| Representing the Minnesota Golden Gophers | ||
| NCAA Division I Championships | ||
| Gold | 2021 St. Louis | 285 lb |
| Gold | 2022 Detroit | 285 lb |
| Silver | 2025 Philadelphia | 285 lb |
| Bronze | 2019 Pittsburgh | 285 lb |
| Big Ten Championships | ||
| Gold | 2020 Piscataway | 285 lb |
| Gold | 2021 State College | 285 lb |
| Gold | 2022 Lincoln | 285 lb |
| Gold | 2025 Evanston | 285 lb |
| Silver | 2019 Minneapolis | 285 lb |
Gable Dan Steveson (born May 31, 2000) is an American athlete famous for his wrestling skills. He won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He also won three world championships in younger age groups.
In folkstyle wrestling, Gable was a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, which is like the Heisman Trophy for college wrestling. He also won two NCAA Division I national championships and four Big Ten Conference championships while wrestling for the University of Minnesota.
After his amazing wrestling career, Gable tried out professional wrestling with WWE. He also played American football for a short time with the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League.
Contents
Early Life and High School Success
Gable Steveson was born in Portage, Indiana. He started wrestling very young, following his two older brothers. His mother named him Gable Dan after the famous wrestler Dan Gable.
When Gable was in seventh grade, his family moved to Apple Valley, Minnesota. This move allowed him and his brother Bobby to wrestle for Apple Valley High School, which was a very strong wrestling team.
After his eighth-grade year, Gable had an incredible high school career. He won four state titles and had a winning streak of 171 matches! His last two state championship matches in high school were incredibly fast, lasting only 28 seconds combined. He was recognized as a top high school wrestler and chose to stay in Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota.
College and Olympic Wrestling Journey
Starting Strong in College
Gable Steveson began his college wrestling career at the University of Minnesota in 2018. Even as a freshman, he showed great talent. He won many matches and earned a third-place finish at the NCAA National Championships. This earned him the title of All-American.
Becoming a Champion
In the 2019-2020 season, Gable continued to dominate. He won his first Big Ten championship. The COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately caused the NCAA championships to be canceled that year.
The next season, 2020-2021, was a huge one for Gable. He won his second Big Ten title and then became the NCAA National Champion. After this amazing season, he received the prestigious Dan Hodge Trophy, recognizing him as the best college wrestler in the country.
Olympic Gold Medalist
After his college success, Gable competed in the US Olympic Team Trials in April 2021. He won his matches, which meant he would represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
At the Olympics in August 2021, Gable was incredible. He won all his matches leading up to the final. In the gold medal match, he faced a tough opponent, Geno Petriashvili from Georgia. In a very exciting finish, Gable scored points in the last second to win the gold medal! This made him the youngest American super-heavyweight wrestler to win Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling in many years.
Final College Season and Retirement from Amateur Wrestling
Even after winning Olympic gold, Gable returned to the University of Minnesota for the 2021-2022 season. He continued his winning streak, earning his third Big Ten title. He then won his second NCAA Division I National Championship.
After winning his second NCAA title, Gable left his wrestling shoes on the center of the mat. This is a tradition in wrestling that shows a wrestler is retiring from the sport. He was named the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament. Gable is known as one of the most dominant college wrestlers ever. He is the only heavyweight wrestler to win the Dan Hodge Trophy more than once.
Return to College Wrestling
In 2024, Gable Steveson returned to wrestle for the University of Minnesota. On March 9, 2025, he made history by becoming the first four-time Big Ten heavyweight champion. He won his fourth title by defeating Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State. He was also named the most outstanding wrestler of that tournament.
Later, he became the first five-time All-American in the history of the University of Minnesota. This happened even though he lost to Wyatt Hendrickson in the national championship match.
Professional Sports Ventures
Professional Wrestling Career
Gable Steveson had a dream of becoming a professional wrestler. After his Olympic win in 2021, he signed a contract with WWE. He was only the second Olympic gold medalist to sign with the company, after Kurt Angle.
Gable appeared at some WWE events, including SummerSlam in August 2021 and WrestleMania 38 in April 2022. He was assigned to the Raw brand and later moved to the NXT brand. His first televised match was at NXT The Great American Bash in July 2023. In May 2024, Gable was released from his WWE contract.
Professional Football Career
On May 31, 2024, Gable Steveson signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He joined the team as a defensive line player, even though he had never played football before. He had his first experience wearing football cleats during his workout for the Bills. However, he was released by the Bills in August 2024 before the regular season began.
Submission Grappling
Gable Steveson is scheduled to make his debut in submission grappling. This is a type of wrestling that focuses on holds and chokes to make an opponent give up. He will compete against Craig Jones in a special match on August 31, 2025.
Images for kids
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Steveson (left) wrestling against Cory Daniel of North Carolina in December 2018
See also
In Spanish: Gable Steveson para niños
