‘In Illinois, Everyone Knew The Blades Sisters’: In Paris, Kennedy Blades Is Ready To Introduce Herself To The World
Blades defeated six-time world champion Adeline Gray to make her first Olympic team, and now she’s aiming for more.
Athlete Bio#
Hometown
Silver Spring, MD
Education
Ohio State University
Personal
- Son of Tricia and Steve Snydet
Has one sister, Megan, and two brothers, Steve and Kevin
Married to Maddie Pack
Also works as partner with Rudis
Started wrestling at the age of five
Career Highlights
Three-time World champion (2015, 2017, 2022)
Two-time World silver medalist (2018, 2021)
Two-time World bronze medalist (2019, 2023)
2013 Junior World Champion
2014 Junior World bronze medalist
Three-time Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix champion (Russia) (2017, 2018, 2022)
Six-time Pan American Championships gold medalist (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Two-time Pan American Games champion (2015, 2019)
2016 World Cup champion
2015 U.S. Open champion Three-time NCAA champion for Ohio State (2016-18) and four-time finalist
2016 Olympic gold medalist
2020 Olympic silver medalist
Olympic Results
- 2024 Olympic Games (5th at 97 kg)
2020 Olympic Games (Silver at 97 kg)
- 2016 Olympic Games (Gold at 97 kg)
RELATED NEWS#
'I Just Won the Olympics,' Says USA Wrestling's Newest Gold Medalist, Sarah Hildebrandt
PARIS — At the conclusion of the final match in Champ-de-Mars Arena on Wednesday, the words “I just won the Olympics” were muffled through a red, white, and blue mouthguard belonging to Sarah Hildebrandt. The Indiana native took home gold in the women’...
Patience, Perseverance And Politely Disobeying Her Parents Have Shaped Helen Marcoulis’ Trailblazing Wrestling Career
U.S. Olympic wrestling champion Helen Maroulis has grappled with a few Olympic-sized dilemmas. The 32-year-old American athlete with Greek family heritage has proved that parents don’t always know best. She trusted her young instincts and it has paid o...
Amit Elor Becomes Youngest Team USA Wrestler to Win Olympic Gold
PARIS — Amit Elor’s ultimate dream was to become an Olympic champion. Now the 20-year-old is the first Team USA wrestling gold medalist of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 — and the youngest ever.Wrestling for the gold medal in women’s freestyle 68-kilogra...
From Mat to Motherhood: Athlete Voices with Adeline Gray
Adeline Gray is a six-time world champion and two-time Olympian for USA Wrestling. In From Mat to Motherhood: Athlete Voices with Adeline Gray, Adeline speaks with women's sports reporter Ari Chambers about competing as a wrestler while being a mother...
