The top two heavyweight NCAA wrestlers — reigning NCAA champion Kyle Snyder of Ohio State and 2015 champion Nick Gwiazdowski of NC State — are joining forces as Snyder prepares for the 2016 Olympics in Rio this summer.
In a recent profile on SI’s Campus Rush, Snyder revealed that his rival is helping him train for the biggest competition in the world.
“He’s here training, helping, learning with me,” Snyder said. “He’s a great guy, we’ve always been good friends. It was definitely a little different when we were competing against each other … but [wrestling] means a lot to us. I definitely respect him and want to be his friend.”
Snyder’s first Olympic match in Rio de Janeiro is set to take place on August 21.
As the reigning NCAA and World champion, Snyder will be favored to at least earn a spot on the medal podium. We can’t wait to watch his journey play out.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
