Who is Kyle Dake? Meet American wrestler chasing historic gold medal at 2024 Paris Olympics
All Kyle Dake really needs now is an Olympic gold medal.
The American wrestling champion has done just about everything else in the sport; He has overcome longtime rivals. He has won championships in a manner nobody else has before. He has dealt with injury and, during the months leading into the 2024 Paris Olympics, heartbreak. He’ll even have a documentary film crew following him around to see if he can polish off his legacy as one of the greatest wrestlers produced by the United States.
Dake will compete in freestyle wrestling in his second-straight Olympics, and could become the oldest American to win an Olympic medal in wrestling this year. It would be a fitting tribute to the manner in which Dake persevered over the past decade to reach this moment, accumulating a back story tailor made to be told to the entire country during these Olympics.
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Here’s what you should know about one of the top medal hopefuls for the United States wrestling team:
Kyle Dake age
Dake, born Feb. 25, 1991, is 33 years old.
He could become the oldest American to win a medal in wrestling this year. Dake recently told CNBC that he turned down a "massive" job opportunity to become a college wrestling coach in order to continue his pursuit of an Olympic gold medal in 2024.
Where is Kyle Dake from?
Dake grew up in Lansing, New York.
Where did Kyle Dake go to college?
Dake remained near his hometown and wrestled at Cornell University (2010-13). He was the third four-time NCAA champion in history, and the only one to accomplish the feat in four different weight classes, without using a redshirt season:
2010 Omaha (141 pounds)
2011 Philadelphia (149 pounds)
2012 St. Louis (157 pounds)
2013 Des Moines (165 pounds)
Kyle Dake weight at 2024 Paris Olympics
Dake will compete in the 74 kg weight class (163 pounds) at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has won two world championships in both the 74 kg and 79 kg weight classes.
Kyle Dake dad
Kyle Dake's father is Doug Dake, an All-American wrestler at Kent State who was a team captain for the Golden Flashes in his junior and senior seasons.
Kyle Dake wrestled at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in April, nine days after his father, Doug, died at 62 years old due to illness. Dake credits his father for introducing him to the sport and coaching him throughout youth and high school wrestling.
Dake wound up beating Nittany Lion Wrestling Club teammate Jason Nolf in the 74 kg finals to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Afterwards, he gave an emotional interview with reporters.
“It’s the first time I’ve had to do this without him, and I just really miss him and wish he was here,” Dake said. “It’s hard to find the words to say how much he means to me. It’s just we went through a lot trying to help him and seeing him suffer, it gives you a lot of perspective on how much of a game this is, and you just go out and do your best, and be grateful for the opportunity.”
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Kyle Dake wrestling shoes
Dake is one of the few American wrestlers with his own signature wrestling shoe. The Spartan Combat Dake wrestling shoe was released in 2022 in three colorways — black, tan and red and white and blue.
Kyle Dake vs. Zaurbek Sidakov
Dake won a silver medal at the 2023 world championships, losing in the 74 kg freestyle final against Russian Zaurbek Sidakov. But Sidavov won’t compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics — nor did he compete at the 2021 and 2022 world championships, when Dake won gold in the 74kg weight class — due to the IOC sanctions on Russia stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia announced earlier in July that its 10 qualified wrestlers, including Sidakov, had unanimously decided not to compete as neutrals in the Olympics this year.
Kyle Dake-Jordan Burroughs rivalry, explained
Dake made the 2020 U.S. Olympics team by beating longtime American rival Jordan Burroughs, who won gold at 74 kg in the 2012 London Olympics. Dake had beaten Burroughs just once before in eight previous meetings since 2013.
Dake was one of the favorites to win a gold medal at 74 kg in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but suffered a stunning quarterfinal loss by technical fall to Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov of Belarus that snapped a 49-match winning streak. Dake then fought back to finish with an Olympic bronze medal.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Kyle Dake age, dad, weight class, more to know at 2024 Paris Olympics
