Helen Maroulis has secured her fourth World Championship title in women’s wrestling, dramatically defeating Il sim Son of North Korea in the 57kg division with a last-second takedown. The victory, achieved at the recent World Championships, cements Maroulis’s legacy as a dominant force in the sport and marks a remarkable comeback for the 33-year-old athlete.
This win is notably meaningful as Maroulis contemplated retirement after the Paris Olympics, but ultimately decided to return to competition. Her achievement breaks the U.S. women’s record with an impressive 11 career Olympic or World Championship medals across 12 World Championship appearances. The title adds to her previous World Championship wins in 2015,2017,and 2021,as well as her historic Olympic gold medal in 2016 – the first for an American woman in wrestling – and a bronze medal in 2024,making her the first American woman to win three Olympic wrestling medals.
The match was fiercely contested, with Maroulis initially taking an early led before falling behind 2-1 with just over a minute remaining. In a stunning finish, she executed an inside trip in the final six seconds to secure a 3-2 victory.
Fellow American Kylie Welker also contributed to the team’s success, earning a bronze medal in the women’s 76kg event. Welker defeated Anastasiya Alpyeyeva 6-2 in the bronze medal match, adding to her previous bronze medal from the 2024 World Championships. Paris Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades remains in contention for a medal, advancing to the repechage rounds in the women’s 68kg category.
