Gable Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist wrestler, is returning to Minnesota after a brief retirement.

Gable Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist, is pausing his retirement to return to competition at the University of Minnesota.

The COVID-19 pandemic granted NCAA athletics an additional year of eligibility, allowing Steveson to exercise his fifth and final season of college wrestling eligibility.

In 2022, Steveson won his second national title at Minnesota and announced his retirement. The 24-year-old wrestler will continue his 52-match win streak when he returns to competitive wrestling in the collegiate ranks.

Steveson declared in a social media video that Minnesota has given him everything, and now it's his turn to give back to them by returning to the wrestling mat and becoming the champ once more.

Brandon Eggum, head coach of Minnesota wrestling, stated that Gable has a strong desire to compete for the Maroon and Gold one last time and is expected to make his season debut on Nov. 24.

"We are grateful that he has chosen to contribute to his historic legacy through our program. He is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and we are thankful for the impact he has had on our program."

Steveson was a professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and competed at the NXT level, which is the developmental brand of the organization.

In May, the Buffalo Bills signed Steveson, who lacked football experience, to play as a defensive lineman. However, his first attempt at organized football ended in August when he was released by the Bills.

He has continued to train with Eggum and initially considered qualifying for the Paris Olympics but eventually decided against it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Subscribe to the Planet Chronicle Sports Huddle newsletter and follow Planet Chronicle Digital's sports coverage on X.