Flip script: Steveson beats buzzer
With 10 seconds remaining, Gable Steveson trailed the biggest wrestling match of his life by three points.
When the clock hit zero, he was an Olympic gold medalist.
Steveson trailed Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili 8-5 with time running out. The 21-year-old American remained composed and took control against his more experienced opponent, scoring on a spin-behind takedown with 10 seconds remaining, then another with less than a second remaining to win the men’s freestyle 125-kilogram class final 10-8 on Friday night.
Steveson held up two fingers for two points after the move, but even he couldn’t believe what happened.
“I looked at the clock and it was like 0.3,” Steveson said. “And I was like, ‘Ain’t no way.’ And my head just like flushed with everything. And I was like, ‘Wow.’ ”
Georgia challenged the final points, to no avail. Steveson gained a point on the challenge, giving him five points in 10 seconds.
It looked as if Steveson might have another easy day. He outscored his opponents 23-0 in the first three rounds and dominated 2016 Olympic gold medalist Taha Akgul 8-0 in the quarterfinals.
Things got tougher in the final. Petriashvili, the No. 1 seed, is a three-time world champion who was an Olympic bronze medalist in 2016.
Steveson, who has aspirations of joining World Wrestling Entertainment, then played to the limited crowd. He walked around the mat with the U.S. flag draped over his shoulders, then dazzled with the backflip he saves for his biggest victories.
“You know, I put on a good show,” he said.
Allyson Felix won her record 10th Olympic track medal with a bronze in the 400 meters. Felix now has more Olympic track and field medals than any woman in history.
Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei won the gold medal in the men’s 5,000-meter race a week after earning silver in the 10,000. Chepetgei won in 12 minutes, 58.15 seconds.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon won the 1,500 meters and retained her Olympic title. Kipyegon won in an Olympic-record time of 3 minutes, 53.11 seconds.