Iowa’s Kennedy Blades reaps the rewards of training with both women’s and men’s programs

IOWA CITY – Having the best of both worlds helps University of Iowa’s Kennedy Blades remain all-world wrestling talent.

The 2024 Olympic silver medalist won a national title and earned USA Wrestling’s Women’s College Wrestler of the Year honors in her first season with the Hawkeyes. As Blades works toward her first senior-level World title later this year, she is training with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club.

“Being part of both of the teams has been great,” Blades said during Tuesday’s Zoom call with media. “We've worked really well together. At Final X and the U.S. Open, Coach Izzy (Israel Martinez) and Coach (Tom) Brands will be in my corner. During the season, (Iowa) Coach (Clarissa) Chun and Coach Tonya (Verbeek) or Coach Gary (Mayabb) will be in my corner.

“At the end of the day, we’re all part of Iowa. We work really well together.”

Blades claimed the 68-kilogram U.S. Open title in April and advanced to the Final X Series for a chance to make the U.S. World Team, representing the country at the World Championships Sept. 13-21 in Zagreb, Croatia. Blades was named Most Exciting Wrestling of the tournament.

With her Olympic medal, two age-level World medals, dominance during the college season and being a front runner for another World team has made her a face for the sport.

“I don’t think it puts any pressure,” Blades said. “It just makes me want to be a better athlete. The sports growing really rapidly and so I hope that I could be a leader in the sport in the way that it can inspire girls to reach their goals and even surpass mine, because at the end of the day I want America wrestling to be No. 1 in the male and female division.”

“If anything, it's more inspirational to just keep pushing wrestling in the U.S.”

HWC has had its benefits. She compared it to training in her home club of Izzy Style Wrestling, getting to wrestling both male and female partners. The college season is spent with the “great” coaches and “amazing” teammates. The offseason transitions to HWC with Brands, a 1996 Olympic champion and 2016 Olympian Coach Daniel Dennis.

“I'm still able to utilize the girls, but I'm also able to utilize the guys as well,” Blades said. “The men's program is very elite. They really push me a lot. I get absolutely destroyed.

“I think it's just something I really need, especially going into the senior world level. I know everyone's hungry to get a world championship. … So, just being able to have so many different coaches that are such a high level, and high-level partners, I think is huge.”

College wrestling was a change to Blades’ new routine. National and international competitions aren’t as frequent and the number of matches are much less. The season allowed her to try higher-scoring and riskier moves that she could hone and incorporate into senior-level contests.

Coaches knew how to balance college goals with the international aspirations of each wrestler. Blades went 25-0 in her first season and enjoyed the immediate feedback.

“I really enjoyed it,” Blades said. “I think it was perfect.”

Blades reached phenom status last summer, making an Olympic team in her first senior-level attempt. She parlayed that feat into hardware, coming a win shy of the sport’s most coveted prize. Blades experienced all the perks of being an Olympian, which was varied from her previous international events.

“It was exciting making my first senior world team as an Olympian,” Blades said. “It was very different, for sure. They were kind of treating us like royalty. There were so many resources and it was crazy because I'm so used to like the cadet or junior, where we have to basically do everything on our own.

“We had nutritionists and message therapists. People were just helping us so much. And Terry's like, “Yeah, this is what happens when you make the senior world team. I was like, okay. It kind of motivated me to keep doing the same thing.”

Blades is no stranger to the Final X Series – a best-of-3 showdown between two wrestlers for the top spot on Team USA. She won it last season at 76 kg. She’s down two weight classes to help spread out the country’s top talent and will face the winner of this month’s World Team Trials.

“It's super exciting and I'm a little more confident going into this senior world, Final X and stuff, because I understand what it takes, especially going to Final X two years ago against (multiple world champion) Adeline Gray and then going to Olympic Trials.

“I’m looking forward to it if anything. I think it's going to turn out really well.”

The upcoming year promises a hectic schedule. In addition to school and the college season at Iowa, she will attempt to compete for a World Team spot and a shot at a World title and participate in the new Real American Freestyle Wrestling promotion launched by professional wrestling promoter eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan and Martinez. Final X is June 14 in Newark, N.J. The first RAFW promotion is expected to be in August and the United World Wrestling World Championships are the following month.

“It’s just things to look forward to,” said Blades, who tries to chill and take naps in her down time. “I always try to see the positive and have a lot of gratitude because it is a lot but it’s a lot of fun stuff.”

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