Japan and the United States Split the Women’s Wrestling
Japan won four women’s freestyle wrestling gold medals and the United States won two at the Paris Olympics. The six divisions formed part of the wrestling competition held from August 5 through August 11, 2024, at Champ de Mars Arena.
Two American champions
Amit Elor won the 68 kg championship, defeating Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanazarova 3–0 in the final. Sarah Hildebrandt followed at 50 kg with a 3–0 victory over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzmán.
The United States also earned silver through Kennedy Blades at 76 kg and bronze through Helen Maroulis at 57 kg. Those four medals made women’s freestyle responsible for more than half of the American wrestling team’s seven-medal total.
Japan’s four gold-medal performances
Akari Fujinami won at 53 kg, defeating Ecuador’s Lucía Yépez by 10–0 technical superiority in the final. Tsugumi Sakurai captured the 57 kg title, while Sakura Motoki took gold at 62 kg.
Yuka Kagami completed Japan’s women’s championship haul at 76 kg. She defeated Blades 3–1 in the final match of the wrestling competition, using a takedown near the edge to establish the winning margin.
Several routes to the podium
The six Olympic weight classes were 50, 53, 57, 62, 68 and 76 kg. Alongside each gold and silver, the tournament awarded two bronze medals through its repechage structure.
That format allowed wrestlers beaten by a finalist another medal opportunity. It helped shape a competition in which Japan supplied most of the champions while the American team reached the podium across four different divisions.
Sources
- USA Wrestling: final medal table and women’s champions
- USA Wrestling: Kagami–Blades final
- United World Wrestling: Olympic divisions and competition results
- Penn High School: Hildebrandt’s gold-medal result
- Olympedia: Olympic wrestling dates and medal events
