Rockville, Maryland native Helen Maroulis, the first American lady to win a wrestling gold medal, is now first U.S. female wrestler to qualify for three Summer Games.
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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Helen Maroulis, the first American lady to win a wrestling gold medal, turned the first U.S. female wrestler to qualify for three Summer Games as she earned a spot Saturday night time on the American staff for Paris.
Maroulis, competing at 57 kilograms, dominated former Olympian Jacarra Winchester in a best-of-three collection.
The two-time Olympic medalist Maroulis topped Winchester with a pin within the first match and a 6-0 determination within the second, sweeping the collection. With a bloodied nostril, Maroulis bowed to a sea of cheering followers earlier than having her arm raised by the official on the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State’s campus.
“It simply makes me assume again to myself as somewhat lady, and in case you instructed me that I used to be gonna do that, I don’t assume I might’ve believed you,” Maroulis mentioned, including she wasn’t conscious she was breaking a file.
Maroulis turned the first lady wrestler to win two Olympic medals for the United States when she earned bronze at 57 kg in Tokyo. Now 32, she captured her gold medal on the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“I positively assume that I’m coming right into a peak season proper now,” Maroulis mentioned.
A Rockville, Maryland native, Maroulis wrestles and trains with the powerhouse Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club in Arizona.
Winchester was an Olympian for the United States at 53 kg in Tokyo and was a world champion in 2019 at 55 kg. Winchester was initially slated to wrestle at 53 kg however didn’t make the load cutoff, forcing her up to 57 kg.
All six of the ladies who have been incomes spots on the U.S. staff Saturday qualify straight for the Olympic event in Paris this summer season, avoiding a global qualifying event.
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