Maroulis Golden Again

2025 World Championships – Zagreb, Croatia
Photo: Durwood Tenny/Chasing Greatness

In what was otherwise a very difficult day for Team USA and Women’s freestyle Helen Maroulis showed again why she is one of the all time greats in international wrestling. Finding a way to score in the last 10 seconds of the match snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Helen trailed most of the second period, scoring 2 last second points to better Il Sim Son (North Korea) 3-2

Team Rankings (After Group Two)
1. Japan, 87
2. North Korea, 70
3. United States, 52
4. Ukraine, 50
5. China, 49
6. Mongolia, 44
7. Türkiye, 37
8. Ecuador, 27
9. Canada, 27
10. Cuba, 25

Final Results (Group Two)
50 kg
Gold – Myonggyong Won (North Korea)
Silver – Yu Zhang (China)
Bronze – Elizaveta Smirnova (UWW)
Bronze – Evin Demirhan (Turkey)
5th – Remina Yoshimoto (Japan)
5th – Munkhnar Byambasuren (Mongolia)
7th – Emanuela Liuzzi (Italy)
8th – Madison Parks (Canada)
9th – Nohalis Loyo Jimenez (Venezuela)
10th – Oksana Livach (Ukraine)

Gold – Myonggyong Won (North Korea) dec. Yu Zhang (China), 8-2
Bronze – Elizaveta Smirnova (UWW) dec. Remina Yoshimoto (Japan), 3-3
Bronze – Evin Demirhan (Turkey) dec. Munkhnar Byambasuren (Mongolia), 3-2

57 kg
Gold – Helen Maroulis (United States)
Silver – Il Sim Son (North Korea)
Bronze – Kexin Hong (China)
Bronze – Olga Khoroshavtseva (UWW)
5th – Iryna Kurachkina (UWW)
5th – Himeka Tokuhara (Japan)
7th – Evelina Hulthen (Sweden)
8th – Jenna Hemiae (Finland)
9th – Tamara Dollak (Hungary)
10th – Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador)

Gold – Helen Maroulis (United States) dec. Il Sim Son (North Korea), 3-2
Bronze – Olga Khoroshavtseva (UWW) dec. Himeka Tokuhara (Japan), 4-1
Bronze – Kexin Hong (China) tech. fall Iryna Kurachkina (UWW), 10-0

65 kg
Gold – Miwa Morikawa (Japan)
Silver – Alina Kasabieva (UWW)
Bronze – Irina Ringaci (Moldova)
Bronze – Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal (Mongolia)
5th – Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine)
5th – Macey Kilty (United States)
7th – Kadriye Kocak Aksoy (Turkey)
8th – Grace Bullen (Norway)
9th – Alexis Gomez (Mexico)
10th – Vaishnavi Patil (India)

Gold – Miwa Morikawa (Japan) dec. Alina Kasabieva (UWW), 8-0
Bronze – Irina Ringaci (Moldova) dec. Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine), 6-3
Bronze – Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal (Mongolia) dec. Macey Kilty (United States), 4-2

76 kg
Gold – Genesis Reasco Valdez (Ecuador)
Silver – Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze – Kylie Welker (United States)
Bronze – Milaimy Marin Potrille (Cuba)
5th – Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine)
5th – Priya (India)
7th – Qiandegenchagan (China)
8th – Enrica Rinaldi (Italy)
9th – Davaanasan Enkh Amar (Mongolia)
10th – Nodoka Yamamoto (Japan)

Gold – Genesis Reasco Valdez (Ecuador) dec. Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 4-2
Bronze – Kylie Welker (United States) dec. Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine), 6-2
Bronze – Milaimy Marin Potrille (Cuba) tech. fall Priya (India), 10-0

U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results
Group Two
50 kg – Audrey Jimenez (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC), Eliminated
LOSS Emanuela Liuzzi (Italy)

57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Titan Mercury WC), Gold Medal Match
WIN Emine Cakmak (Turkey), fall, 1:01
WIN Himeka Tokuhara (Japan), fall, 2:18
WIN Olga Khoroshavtseva (UWW), fall, 3:11
VS Il Sim Son (North Korea)

65 kg – Macey Kilty (North Liberty, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC), Repechage
LOSS Alina Kasabieva (UWW), 6-6
VS Grace Bullen (Norway)

76 kg – Kylie Welker (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC), Repechage
WIN Vanesa Georgieva (Bulgaria), fall, 4:02
LOSS Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 8-3
VS Elmira Yasin (Turkey)

U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results
Group Two
50 kg – Audrey Jimenez (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 15th Place
LOSS Emanuela Liuzzi (Italy)

57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Titan Mercury WC), Gold Medal
WIN Emine Cakmak (Turkey), fall, 1:01
WIN Himeka Tokuhara (Japan), fall, 2:18
WIN Olga Khoroshavtseva (UWW), fall, 3:11
WIN Il Sim Son (North Korea), 3-2

65 kg – Macey Kilty (North Liberty, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC), 5th Place
LOSS Alina Kasabieva (UWW), 6-6
WIN Grace Bullen (Norway), fall, 4:39
LOSS Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal (Mongolia), 4-2

76 kg – Kylie Welker (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC), Bronze Medal
WIN Vanesa Georgieva (Bulgaria), fall, 4:02
LOSS Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 8-3
WIN Elmira Yasin (Turkey), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine), 6-2

Group Three
53 kg – Felicity Taylor (Coralville, Iowa/Big Game WC/Titan Mercury WC), Eliminated
LOSS Jin Zhang (China), tech. fall, 10-0

62 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP), Eliminated
WIN Selvi Ilyasoglu (Turkey), 7-3
WIN Johanna Lindborg (Sweden), 13-6
LOSS Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia), 5-2

68 kg – Kennedy Blades (Tiffin, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), Repechage
WIN Radhika (India), tech. fall, 11-0
LOSS Ami Ishii (Japan), tech. fall, 12-1
VS Manola Skobelska (Ukraine) or Noémi Szabados (Hungary)

72 kg – Alexandria Glaude (Menlo Park, Calif./California RTC/Titan Mercury WC), Eliminated
WIN Svetlana Oknazarova (Uzbekistan), fall, 3:31
WIN Masako Furuichi (Japan), 3-2
LOSS Nurzat Nurtaeva (Kyrgyzstan), 8-4