Kyle Snyder Seeking Second Olympic Gold Medal

“Somebody’s got to win. Why not me?”

The next chapter of Kyle Snyder’s Olympic journey has begun.

Snyder is Team USA’s representative in the men’s freestyle 97 kg (213.75 pounds) weight class, and he is a familiar face on the squad. He won gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and silver in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, and he is seeking another taste of gold at Champ de Mars Arena in Paris.

“I’m not too worried about becoming a two-time gold medalist,” said Snyder. “My only concern is competing hard. Somebody’s got to win. Why not me?”

Snyder won gold in 2016 / Team USA

Asked whether there would be a shadow cast over this year’s Olympic medalists because many athletes from Russia are not competing, Snyder shared his belief that this is one of the most talented, competitive fields he has ever faced.

“I want to beat the best,” said Snyder, 28. “There were times Russia boycotted before, like in 1984, when it was the Soviet Union. And there are Russian transfers in every bracket. My bracket has four or five Russians in it. The competition is going to be tough, and you’ve got to be ready.”

Snyder won silver in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo / Team USA

Snyder is in the same bracket as Akhmed Tazhudinov, a 21-year-old Russian standout representing Bahrain–who defeated Snyder en route to winning last year’s world championship. That only adds to his herculean task of winning another gold.

“I feel blessed,” said Snyder. “To do it once is incredible. I love competing for Team USA, and I’m so thankful to be in this position.”