United States Finalizes Olympic Team, Maroulis Completes Comeback as Steveson Shines
Sunday, April 4, 2021 - 11:39 By United World Wrestling Press
FORT WORTH, United States (April 3) – Helen Maroulis, two-time world champion and 2016 Olympic champion, defeated Jenna Burkert in their best-of-three series to make the United States starting squad for Tokyo 2021.
“I’m so blessed that I was able to come back, I honestly didn’t know if there was going to happen,” said Maroulis. “I’m just so grateful they are having the Games still.”
On the men’s side Gable Steveson wowed the audience with a dominating performance at 125kg, defeating two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski in straight matches. Steveson, who did a full back layout after winning, told reporters that he “was coming for the world,” and was prepared to take gold in Tokyo.
Kyle Dake, a two-time world champion at 79kg, secured the starting Olympic spot at 74kg defeating Olympic champion and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs in straight matches.
In Greco-Roman a number of top seeds held their position, including 2017 world silver medalist Adam Coon who won his spot on Saturday, but will now focus on preparing to qualify the 130kg for the USA squad in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Interviews can be found, here.
The full list of winners for the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials:
Men’s Freestyle
57kg: Thomas Gilman
Bout One – Gilman pin Arujau, 5:42
Bout Two – Gilman dec. Arujau, 2-2
*65kg: Jordan Oliver
Bout One – Oliver dec. McKenna, 3-0
Bout Two – Oliver dec. McKenna, 5-2
74kg: Kyle Dake
Bout One – Dake dec. Burroughs, 3-0
Bout Two – Dake dec. Burroughs, 3-2
86kg: David Taylor
Bout One – Taylor dec. Nickal, 4-0
Bout Two – Taylor dec. Nickal, 6-0
97kg: Kyle Snyder
Bout One – Snyder tech. fall Moore, 10-0
Bout Two – Snyder dec. Moore, 5-1
125kg: Gable Steveson
Bout One – Steveson tech. fall Gwiazdowski, 10-0
Bout Two – Steveson dec. Gwiazdowski, 10-4
Women’s Wrestling
50kg: Sarah Hildebrandt
Bout One – Hildebrandt tech. fall Anthony, 12-2
Bout Two – Hildebrandt tech. fall Anthony, 10-0
53kg: Jacarra Winchester
Bout One – Winchester dec. Heaton, 7-4
Bout Two – Winchester tech. fall Heaton, 12-2
57kg: Helen Maroulis
Bout One – Maroulis dec. Burkert, 5-3
Bout Two – Burkert dec. Maroulis, 6-5
Bout Three – Maroulis pin Burkert, 0:24
62kg: Kayla Miracle
Bout One – Miracle dec. Kilty, 8-4
Bout Two – Kilty dec. Miracle, 4-3
Bout Three – Miracle inj. dft. Kilty, 0:32
68kg: Tamyrah Mensah-Stock
Bout One – Mensah-Stock dec. Blades, 12-4
Bout Two – Mensah-Stock dec. Blades, 8-1
76kg: Adeline Gray
Bout One – Gray tech. fall Welker, 10-0
Bout Two – Gray tech. fall Welker, 11-0
Greco-Roman
60kg: Ildar Hafizov
Bout One – Hafizov dec. Mango, 7-0
Bout Two – Hafizov tech. fall Mango, 8-0
67kg: Alejandro Sancho
Bout One – Sancho dec. Coleman, 2-0
Bout Two – Sancho dec. Coleman, 3-1
*77kg: Jesse Porter
Bout One –Porter dec. Walsh, 8-1
Bout Two – Porter dec. Walsh, 7-7
87kg: John Stefanowicz
Bout One – Stefanowicz dec. Rau, 6-5
Bout Two – Stefanowicz dec. Rau. 2-1
97kg: G”Angelo Hancock
Bout One – Hancock tech. fall Amos, 8-0
Bout Two – Hancock tech. fall Amos, 8-0
*130kg: Adam Coon
Bout One –Coon tech. fall Schultz, 10-0
Bout Two – Coon dec. Schultz, 3-3
*Denotes weight categories yet to be qualified by the United States. The United States team trials are an almost certain indicator of the team to be presented in Tokyo, but is not official until the United States submits their entry list to the International Olympic Committee.
Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) will be looking to earn a Paris spot for Algeria in GR 60kg. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)
Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) will lead a strong Nigerian team for the qualifiers. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)
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