"How is this allowed"; "Disrespectful" - Fans react to Olympic  medalist Gable Steveson making a comeback to NCAA wrestling using eligibility waiver

Fans recently expressed their disapproval after Gable Steveson announced his return to NCAA wrestling, years after announcing his retirement. Steveson secured a gold medal in the heavyweight category at the Tokyo Games.

After clinching his second consecutive NCAA championship in 2022, Steveson took off his shoes and left them on the mat, announcing his retirement with a year still left with eligibility due to COVID-19 protocols.

Owing to the Olympic redshirt, which means an athlete withdrawing from competing at the college level to focus on training for the Olympic Games or other international competitions, Gable Steveson was deemed eligible to make a return to the NCAA circuit for the upcoming season.

However, it has created a buzz amongst wrestling fans who held a differing view on the Olympic medalist's return, with one of the fans questioning the eligibility.

"How is this allowed?"

Another fan referred to the decision as disregard for the sport and wrote,

"So disrespectful to the sport."

One of the fans expressed their resentment by suggesting that a 24-year-old wrestler with an Olympic gold medal returning to the collegiate circuit was unfair to the other student-athletes.

"Way to take an opportunity from a young cat. How can you take money from a NFL team then come back to college,"

Here are a few more reactions:

"I really wish the NCAA would start to deny some of these waivers," wrote a fan.

"Why would anybody who won a gold medal in the Olympics go back and compete in college? That's just dumb. Attention seeking behavior," another fan expressed their dissent.

"What is he now, 30? Time to move on from college dude," one of the sport's fan wrote.

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"One more time" - Gable Steveson sets his sight on securing his third NCAA wrestling title

Gable Stevenson celebrates after winning the golden medal during the Men's Freestyle 125kg final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan. (Photo via Getty Images)

After securing the NCAA title in 2021 and 2022, Gable Steveson has fixed his eyes on securing a third title in the upcoming season. Soon after his return to the Gophers, he expressed his gratitude to the University of Minnesota and committed to its wrestling program.

"First I would like to thank the University of Minnesota for their time, their effort and their persistence with me to push me to the man I am today," Steveson said. "Minnesota has given me everything, and now it's my turn to give it right back to them: to put my feet back on the wrestling mat, to be the champ, one more time." (via Star Tribune)

Gable Steveson is set to return for his fifth season on November 24, 2024, against Campbell at Maturi Pavillion in Minnesota.