Incoming Iowa Hawkeye Kennedy Blades dropped a hard fought 3-1 decision to Yuka Kagami of Japan in the Olympic gold medal match at 76kg.
Kagami scored the first point when Blades was put in the shot clock. Blades then scored on a pushout for a 1-1 score at break. Kagami scored a takedown in the second period for the 3-1 decision.
Kagami was the 76kg champion at the 2023 World Freestyle Championships and won bronze at the 2021 worlds.
In the Round of 16 Blades hit an amazing 5-point throw on her way to an 11-0 tech fall over Catalina Axente of Romania. That may have been the most photographed move of the entire Olympics for wrestling. You will be seeing that picture for years.
In the quarterfinals Blades defeated #5 seed Milaimy Marin of Cuba, 4-3. Marin defeated Blades 13-4 last month at the Grand Prix of Spain.
Blades defeated #1 seed Aiperi Medet of Kyrgyzstan in the semifinals 8-6. Medet won silver at the 2023 World Championships and bronze in 2021.
What a great tournament for Blades at the Olympics.
Blades defeated six-time World champion Adeline Gray to make the Olympic team.
Blades announced on July 23 that she signed a Letter of Intent to compete at Iowa. She will join the defending national champion Iowa team as the biggest name in college wrestling.
Blades was a 2021 U20 world champion and 2023 U20 bronze medalist. She was also a 2023 U23 silver medalist.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Blades competed for Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania.
At just 20 years old Kennedy Blades has a great future in the sport of wrestling.
2024 Olympics – 76kg
Round of 16: Kennedy Blades (USA) VSU Catalina Axente (Romania) 11-0
Quarterfinals: Kennedy Blades (USA) VPO1 Milaimy Marin (Cuba) 4-3
Semifinals: Kennedy Blades (USA) VPO1 Aiperi Medet (Kyrgyzstan) 8-6
Finals:Kennedy Blades (USA) vs. Yuka Kagami (Japan) VPO1 Kennedy Blades (USA) 3-1
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
