Women's wrestling
Helen Maroulis
Helen Maroulis beat Saori Yoshida in the Rio final at 53 kilograms. It was the first Olympic wrestling gold for an American woman. She has three world titles. In Tokyo she won bronze at 57 kilograms, a different room with a different problem.
The bout with Yoshida is the one posters remember. The years around it, including time away from the sport after concussion, are the career. We wrote about the final because it changed what American women's wrestling was allowed to expect. The expectation was the real result.
Weights in her record should not be collapsed into one number. 53 in Rio. 57 in Tokyo. The kilograms are the story.
Career highlights
- Olympic gold, Rio 2016, 53 kg
- Olympic bronze, Tokyo 2020, 57 kg
- Three-time world champion