Kyle Snyder has done it. The Olympic gold medalist just accomplished something no one has been able to since he was in seventh grade, becoming the first American male to win a Yarygin title since Steve Mocco in January of 2009.





The 2016 NCAA champ won three matches in the morning session, and then got a comeback pin in the finals. Snyder, a 2016 NCAA champ, won his first match 11-0, and then his next both by a score of 11-1 to put him in the finals.

In the finals, the Ohio State junior squared off with Rasul Magomedeov. Due to a bracketing quirk, it was the first and only Russian opponent for Snyder on the day. Early in the second period, Magomedov took Snyder down and then hit a gut wrench to take a 4-1 lead. But Snyder hit two straight knee pull singles to go ahead 5-4, followed by a stepout. As it entered the final minute, Snyder drove through another shot and planted Magomedov flat on his back and secure the fall.

The only American competing on the final day of the Ivan Yarygin is 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder. Prior to the tournament, the wife of the late Ivan Yarygin said that foreigners would start in the round of 16 on the top half, with only Rusisans on the other side of the bracket in the bottom half. That did not happen in any other weight but at Snyder's 97kg, so it is unclear if they forgot she said this or if this truly is random draw.

His finals opponent was Rasul Magomedov, who is 13-2 over his last few competitions. He was second at last year's Intercontinental Cup after winning the Ali Aliyev Memorial earlier in the year.





Snyder's final bracket