Thursday, 21 November 2024
Dan Gable
- Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2024
- Embed from Getty Images
- Sport(s): Freestyle Wrestling
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Statistics:
1 Freestyle 68 kg Olympic Gold Medal (1972)
1 Freestyle 68 kg World Championship Gold Medal (1971)
1 Freestyle 68 kg Pan American Games Gold Medal (1971)
1 Freestyle 130 lb NCAA Gold Medal (1968)
1 Freestyle 137 lb NCAA Gold Medal (1969)
1 Freestyle 142 lb NCAA Silver Medal (1970)
3-time All-American (1968, 1969 & 1970)
Member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
Member of the USA Wrestling Hall of Fame
Member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame -
From the state of Iowa, Dan Gable stayed home early in his athletic career, going to Iowa State, where he was the most successful wrestler in school history. Gable won two national championships (1968 and 1969), but a third one escaped him, as he lost to Larry Owings of the University of Washington in the 142 lb final. This was the only loss of Gable’s college career against 117 wins.
When a fighter in any discipline loses for the first time, doubt can creep in their mind, and they second guess everything, leading to vulnerability. Gable instead got better, easily winning the World Wrestling Championship in Bulgaria that summer, and at the 1972 Munich Olympics, he won Gold in the 68 kg class without surrendering a point.
Gable later became a successful wrestling coach at Iowa State, where from 1976 to 1997, he had a record of 355-21-5 and won 15 NCAA national wrestling team championships.
We are proud to nominate Dan Gable for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.
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