0:54Gophers wrestler Gable Steveson touched down in the Twin Cities from the Tokyo Olympics late Sunday with a giant smile on his face and a shiny gold medal around his neck as he raised his arms to a gathered crowd chanting: "USA! USA! USA!"
Steveson, 21, was celebrated for his improbable trouncing of the competition, culminating in a comeback that saw him get two takedowns in 13 seconds against the three-time world champion Geno Petriashvili for gold in the freestyle heavyweight final.
Before stepping into the enthusiastic crowd at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Steveson reunited privately with his parents, Robert and Laticia Steveson, and older brother, Bobby, whom he hadn't seen since July 17. Then he turned his attention to the crowd that was chanting "Gable, Gable, Gable" as he walked through the electronic doors.
He called the experience "surreal" and said he'd stay until everybody got what they wanted — a photo or an autograph. Afterward, he said he planned to get home, relax and sleep in his own bed.
Several wrestlers from St. Paul's Humboldt High School were in the crowd: Tha Gay got an autograph and a photo with the beaming gold medalist. "I'm so happy," Gay said as he showed off the photo.
Gay and his teammates never lost faith in Steveson's championship run, he said. "He made college look too easy," Gay said.
Recently graduated Humboldt wrestling captain Hsa Loo got Steveson's signature on a pristine white shoe. "We took a lot of inspiration from him throughout our year in wrestling," Loo said.
Apple Valley High School coach Josh Barlage, who coached Steveson in high school, brought several wrestlers for the airport greeting. "It doesn't get more exciting than this," he said. "This is the pinnacle of the sport of wrestling."
