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American wrestler Gable Steveson is set to make a comeback to the wrestling mat for his alma mater, the University of Minnesota. As per reports, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist will return to the mat later this month during his team's clash against Campbell University.
Steveson's allowance to the collegiate roster comes due to the Olympic redshirt. As explained on the NCAA's website, this is a process in which collegiate wrestlers prioritize elite professional training to forego competing in that particular NCAA season. However, those athletes can use this foregone year in the future which the 24-year-old is set to do in the 2024-25 season.
Moreover, the 24-year-old has taken the help of the one extra year of eligibility, granted by the NCAA in 2021 to compensate for the loss of a year of collegiate athletes due to COVID.
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His last competition for the University came two years ago in 2022, following which he tried his hand at numerous ventures such as the WWE and NFL. However, the Minnesota native is set to return to his roots with the Minnesota Golden Gophers Wrestling team for one last year in the 2024-25 season.
Steveson opened up about his comeback and his chance to "add to his legacy" for the University team in a video shared on Instagram by the team's official account. He said:
"There is one thing inside of me that still burns, the burning passion, the competitiveness, and the itch to become great again and add to the legacy of Gable Steveson"
Gable Steveson has one of the most prolific track records in the University's history. He has 85 wins to his name and just two losses, both against Anthony Cassar. Moreover, he has two NCAA titles, from 2021 and 2022, and three Big Ten titles, coming in 2019, 2021, and 2022, to his name.
University of Minnesota wrestling team's head coach opens up about Gable Steveson's comeback to the mat
University of Minnesota wrestling head coach Brandon Eggum spoke about Gable Steveson's comeback to the college's program.
In a recent statement, Eggum said that the wrestling program was happy about Steveson's return to the roster. He also mentioned the legacy that Stevson had built in his early years for the University. He said (via Gopher Sports),
"Gable has the burning desire to compete for the Maroon and Gold one last time. We are thankful he has chosen the opportunity to add to his historic legacy with our program. He is one of the best to ever compete in the sport of wrestling and we are grateful for the impact has had at our program."
Gable Steveson's addition will make the Gophers a probable candidate to win the NCAA team title in the 2024-25 season, a feat the team last achieved in 2007.
