Dan Gable

Dan Gable is America’s best known wrestler and some experts think he is the greatest wrestler produced in the United States. In high school and college he never lost a match until his senior year when, in the final match of the 1970 NCAA Tournament, he was beaten by Larry Owings. Gable was already known as a workaholic and the most dedicated wrestler in a sport that requires dedication if one is to compete at the top levels, but the loss spurred him on to even greater efforts.

He won the 1970 AAU Title (his second) and the 1971 Pan-American Games gold medal, as well as winning the 1971 World Championships. In a succession of international meets, he beat several Soviets and after Gable was named the outstanding wrestler at a meet in Tbilisi in 1972, the Soviet national coach vowed, “Before the Olympics, we will find someone who can beat Gable.” They never did. Gable severely injured his knee shortly before the 1972 Olympics, but wrestled at München despite it. He performed the amazing feat of winning his gold medal by a shutout – no opponent scored a point off him in six matches.

In 21 matches at the U.S. Trials and the Olympics, he gave up one point – wrestling basically on one leg. After the Olympics, Gable competed sporadically but launched a coaching career. He retired in 1973 but came back briefly in 1975, but never competed again after that year. Gable wrestled collegiately at Iowa State, but spent his coaching career from 1976-1997 at the University of Iowa. He also became the greatest coach in U.S. college wrestling, winning 17 NCAA titles, and 21 Big Ten Championships. He was U.S. Olympic freestyle coach in 1980, 1984, and 2000.