Maroulis named 2016 USA Wrestling Women’s Wrestler of the Year
By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
COLORADO SPRINGS - Helen Maroulis (New York, New York/Sunkist Kids) was named 2016 Women's Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that Maroulis has received this prestigious award.
Maroulis made history by becoming the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States, by capturing the 53 kg gold-medal at the Rio Olympic Games. In the championship finals, Maroulis defeated the most decorated wrestler in the history of our sport, three-time Olympic champion and 13-time World champion Saori Yoshida of Japan, 4-1.
[caption id="attachment_14304" align="alignleft" width="250"]
Helen Maroulis is the first woman to be featured in the Hall of Fame's gallery of Olympic gold medalists.[/caption]
She had a dominant performance in Rio, winning five matches against talented opponents. She opened with a 12-1 technical fall over Yulia Blahinya of Ukraine, then rolled up Xuechen Zhong of China in a 10-0 technical fall. She scored a 7-4 quarterfinals win over two-time World bronze medalist Myong Suk-Jong of North Korea. In the semifinals, Maroulis pinned 2009 World champion and six-time World medalist Sofia Mattsson of Sweden in 5:24.
Maroulis won her weight class at the Olympic Trials in Iowa City in April, defeating three-time U.S. World Team member Whitney Conder in the best-of-three Championship Series in two straight matches, both technical falls, winning 10-0 and 11-0. To reach the finals, Maroulis scored three straight technical falls in the Challenge Tournament, putting away Christina Powell, 10-0, Sharon Jacobson, 13-2 and Katherine Fulp-Allen, 11-0.
Two weeks later, Maroulis also won a gold medal at the 1st World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia, to qualify her weight class for the United States in Rio. She won four straight to win the title, including a 10-0 technical fall in the finals over Maria Prevolaraki of Greece. She opened with an 8-2 win over Alma Jane Valencia of Mexico, then beat Kumari Babita of India in a 10-0 technical fall, and scored a 28 second pin over Lilya Horishna of Ukraine in the semifinals.
Maroulis currently lives in New York City, where she trains under Valentin Kalika and Kendall Cross, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2002, at Columbia University’s New York City Regional Training Center.
Read Full Story
USA Wrestling
COLORADO SPRINGS - Helen Maroulis (New York, New York/Sunkist Kids) was named 2016 Women's Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that Maroulis has received this prestigious award.
Maroulis made history by becoming the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States, by capturing the 53 kg gold-medal at the Rio Olympic Games. In the championship finals, Maroulis defeated the most decorated wrestler in the history of our sport, three-time Olympic champion and 13-time World champion Saori Yoshida of Japan, 4-1.
[caption id="attachment_14304" align="alignleft" width="250"]
Helen Maroulis is the first woman to be featured in the Hall of Fame's gallery of Olympic gold medalists.[/caption]She had a dominant performance in Rio, winning five matches against talented opponents. She opened with a 12-1 technical fall over Yulia Blahinya of Ukraine, then rolled up Xuechen Zhong of China in a 10-0 technical fall. She scored a 7-4 quarterfinals win over two-time World bronze medalist Myong Suk-Jong of North Korea. In the semifinals, Maroulis pinned 2009 World champion and six-time World medalist Sofia Mattsson of Sweden in 5:24.
Maroulis won her weight class at the Olympic Trials in Iowa City in April, defeating three-time U.S. World Team member Whitney Conder in the best-of-three Championship Series in two straight matches, both technical falls, winning 10-0 and 11-0. To reach the finals, Maroulis scored three straight technical falls in the Challenge Tournament, putting away Christina Powell, 10-0, Sharon Jacobson, 13-2 and Katherine Fulp-Allen, 11-0.
Two weeks later, Maroulis also won a gold medal at the 1st World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia, to qualify her weight class for the United States in Rio. She won four straight to win the title, including a 10-0 technical fall in the finals over Maria Prevolaraki of Greece. She opened with an 8-2 win over Alma Jane Valencia of Mexico, then beat Kumari Babita of India in a 10-0 technical fall, and scored a 28 second pin over Lilya Horishna of Ukraine in the semifinals.
Maroulis currently lives in New York City, where she trains under Valentin Kalika and Kendall Cross, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2002, at Columbia University’s New York City Regional Training Center.
Read Full Story
Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations