Kennedy Blades turned heads when she made the United States team at the Olympic Team Trials in April. The 20-year old Blades upset the legendary Adeline Gray at 76 KG. Gray, a six-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist in 2020, fell to Blades in two consecutive matches (11-6 and 8-3). That came on the heels of Blades' near-breakthrough at the 2020 Olympic Team Trials, when she was runner-up to Tamyra Mensah-Stock at 68 KG.
It turns out that Blades was far from done turning heads and making noise on the wrestling mat.
On Saturday, Blades stormed through the bracket at 76 KG, winning three matches and advancing to the gold medal match on Sunday. Blades has navigated a challenging path to get to the gold medal bout as well, defeating three of the top eight seeds on her path to the final.
Blades' tournament began with an emphatic 11-0 win by technical superiority over the 5-seed Catalina Axente of Romania, a victory that was most notable for the highlight reel German suplex that Blades delivered to Axente to lock up the technical fall and end the match.
In the quarterfinals, Blades faced 4-seed Milaimys Marin Portillo of Cuba. In a tense and low-scoring first period, Blades scored the only point when Marin Portillo was put on the activity clock and was unable to score. After the break, Marin Portillo earned a step-out point to tie the match (and lead on criteria) before Blades got a step-out point of her own to take a 2-1 lead.
Blades extended her lead to 4-1 after recording two points by exposing Marin Portillo's back during a counter. Marin Portillo scored a late takedown to cut the lead to 4-3, but was unable to score again, sending Blades to the semifinal.
In the semifinal, Blades took on her toughest challenger yet in 1-seed Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan. After another low-scoring start to the match, Blades was put on the activity clock, but secured a takedown off a double leg attack to go up 2-0. Medet Kyzy hit back with a takedown of her own on the edge of the mat to tie the match at 2-2, before Blades used a single leg attack to earn a step-out point and take a 3-2 lead into the break.
Blades exploded for a takedown after the break to go up 5-2, then got a penalty point to make the lead 6-2 when Medet Kyzy's challenge of that takedown was deemed unsuccessful. Blades added another takedown to make the score 8-2 and give her firm control of the match. Medet Kyzy hit back with a takedown and gut wrench turn of her own to cut the lead to 8-6 and make the final 45 seconds, but Blades held off the challenge to advance to the gold medal final, where she will face the 2-seed Yuka Kagami of Japan.
Blades, who committed to Iowa in July after attending Arizona State and training at Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club has been described as a "generational talent" by many observers and performances like hers today are strong evidence that she can deliver on that hype. Blades is nearly 6 feet tall and use her combination of size, speed, and skill has made her a nightmare to slow down for opponents. Her length and her quickness combine with strong technique to give her a lot of offensive firepower.
Advancing to the gold medal match assures Blades of at least a silver medal, which makes her the 12th Iowa wrestler -- and first Iowa women's wrestler -- to win an Olympic medal, even though she hasn't actually set foot on the mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena just yet. Performances like this will turn her into a fast fan favorite for Hawkeye supports before she even dons a black singlet this winter.
Blades is scheduled to wrestle Yuka Kagami for the gold medal at approximately 6:20 AM CT on Sunday, August 11. The match will stream match live on Peacock.
