By Richard Immel
USA Wrestling

ASTANA, Kazakhstan – Two medals are officially on the board for Team USA—Helen Maroulis and Dymond Guilford secured bronze in women’s freestyle at the 2026 Senior World Championships on Wednesday evening at Barys Arena.

The medal rounds are old hat for Maroulis, who is now a nine-time Senior World medalist and three-time Olympic medalist. The Rockville, Md., native battled through adversity in her 57 kg bronze medal match against Asian Games bronze medalist Nilufar Raimova of Kazakhstan. Maroulis took a 4-0 lead into the break before a cut opened above her right eye, requiring a full head wrap to continue. She weathered Raimova's second-period flurries to hold on to a 5-2 decision.

The legend continues to grow for Maroulis, who has set record after record for the U.S. women. She is now tied atop the U.S. history books with four others—Bruce Baumgartner, Jordan Burroughs, Kristie Davis and Adeline Gray—who have reached the nine-medal mark at the World Championships. No American has won 10. Baumgartner and Davis are both Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Guilford reached a medal match at the Senior Worlds for the first time. She took control of the 76 kg bronze medal match against Kadriye Kocak Aksoy of Türkiye with a snatch single-leg takedown to the back at the end of the first period. Strong positioning with a sizeable second-period lead pushed Guilford to a 7-2 decision.

Two-time World medalist and two-time Olympian Kayla Miracle picked up a couple of team points thanks to a 10th-place result at 65 kg. The U.S. women currently sit in seventh place with 32 team points, but a surge up the charts is coming after today’s group two performance, which saw all four athletes stay in the medal chase.

Japan leads with 60 team points, five points ahead of second-place China. Rounding out the top five countries after group one are Ukraine, Mongolia and India.

Individuals claiming World titles in group one were Yui Susaki of Japan at 50 kg, Kexin Hong of China at 57 kg, Alina Kasabieva of Russia at 65 kg and Anastasiya Alpyeyeva of Ukraine at 76 kg.

Read More: 2026 Senior World Championships Day 5 Match Notes

Action resumes Thursday at Barys Arena at 10:30 a.m. local time with the women’s freestyle group two (53-62-68-72 kg) repechage, plus the women’s freestyle group three (55-59 kg) and men’s freestyle group one (65-96 kg) qualification rounds. Taking mats in the morning for Team USA are Kennedy Blades (WFS, 68 kg), Everest Leydecker (WFS, 55 kg), who was the Arizona winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award in 2026, Abby Nette (WFS, 59 kg), Bo Bassett (MFS, 65 kg) and Kyle Snyder (MFS, 97 kg). Astana, Kazakhstan, is nine hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.

U.S. fans can watch the Senior World Championships live or on-demand at FloWrestling.org. Brackets and live results are available at uww.org.

USA Wrestling will provide continued updates from the Senior World Championships on TheMat.com and its social media platforms.

2026 Senior World Championships 

At Astana, Kazakhstan, October 28 

Reference Links 

• USA Wrestling Event Hub

• Live Stream

• Brackets And Results

• Photo Galleries

• Athlete Interviews

Team Ranking 

Women’s Freestyle | After Group One 

1. Japan, 60

2. China, 55

3. Ukraine, 53

4. Mongolia, 41

5. India, 40

6. Kazakhstan, 37

7. United States, 32

8. Russia, 29

9. Belarus, 25

10. Moldova, 20

Weight Class Ranking 

Women’s Freestyle | Group One 

50 kg 

Gold – Yui Susaki (Japan)

Silver – Neelam (India)

Bronze – Zeinep Bayanova (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Ziqi Feng (China)

5th – Natallia Varakina (Belarus)

5th – Oksana Livach (Ukraine)

7th – Katie Dutchak (Canada)

8th – Otgonjargal Dolgorjav (Mongolia)

9th – Elizaveta Smirnova (Russia)

10th – Miesinnei Genesis (Nigeria)

Gold – Yui Susaki (Japan) fall Neelam (India), 2:14

Bronze – Zeinep Bayanova (Kazakhstan) dec. Natallia Varakina (Belarus), 6-1

Bronze – Ziqi Feng (China) tech. fall Oksana Livach (Ukraine), 10-0

57 kg 

Gold – Kexin Hong (China)

Silver – Sena Nagamoto (Japan)

Bronze – Iryna Kurachkina (Belarus)

Bronze – Helen Maroulis (United States)

5th – Khulan Batkhuyag (Mongolia)

5th – Nilufar Raimova (Kazakhstan)

7th – Oleksandra Khomenets (Ukraine)

8th – Zhala Aliyeva (Azerbaijan)

9th – Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador)

10th – Jumoke Adekoye (Nigeria)

Gold – Kexin Hong (China) tech. fall Sena Nagamoto (Japan), 10-0

Bronze – Iryna Kurachkina (Belarus) dec. Khulan Batkhuyag (Mongolia), 12-11

Bronze – Helen Maroulis (United States) dec. Nilufar Raimova (Kazakhstan), 5-2

65 kg 

Gold – Alina Kasabieva (Russia)

Silver – Irina Ringaci (Moldova)

Bronze – Yongxin Feng (China)

Bronze – Nana Ikehata (Japan)

5th – Solomiia Vynnyk (Ukraine)

5th – Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal (Mongolia)

7th – Agnes Nygren (Sweden)

8th – Beibit Seidualy (Kazakhstan)

9th – Nabira Esenbaeva (Uzbekistan)

10th – Kayla Miracle (United States)

Gold – Alina Kasabieva (Russia) dec. Irina Ringaci (Moldova), 6-3

Bronze – Yongxin Feng (China) tech. fall Solomiia Vynnyk (Ukraine), 11-0

Bronze – Nana Ikehata (Japan) dec. Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal (Mongolia), 9-0

76 kg 

Gold – Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine)

Silver – Kajal (India)

Bronze – Davaanasan Enkh Amar (Mongolia)

Bronze – Dymond Guilford (United States)

5th – Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan)

5th – Kadriye Kocak Aksoy (Türkiye)

7th – Martina Kuenz (Austria)

8th – Gulmaral Yerkebayeva (Kazakhstan)

9th – Kamile Griskiene Gaucaite (Lithuania)

10th – Kendra Dacher (France)

Gold – Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine) dec. Kajal (India), 8-6

Bronze – Davaanasan Enkh Amar (Mongolia) dec. Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 4-1

Bronze – Dymond Guilford (United States) dec. Kadriye Kocak Aksoy (Türkiye), 7-2

U.S. Results 

Women’s Freestyle | Group One 

50 kg – Morgan Turner (Chicago, Ill./All I See Is Gold Academy/Titan Mercury WC), disqualified 

WIN Greili Bencosme Carvajal (Cuba), 5-0

LOSS Elizaveta Smirnova (Russia), disq., 4:31

57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Scottsdale, Ariz./Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal 

WIN Mia Friesen (Canada), tech. fall, 11-0

LOSS Sena Nagamoto (Japan), 4-2

WIN Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador), fall, 2:44

WIN Nilufar Raimova (Kazakhstan), 5-2

65 kg – Kayla Miracle (Phoenix, Ariz./Valiant WC/Titan Mercury WC), 10th place

WIN Ayse Erkan (Türkiye), fall, 4:47

LOSS Nana Ikehata (Japan), fall, 5:33

76 kg – Dymond Guilford (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal 

WIN Ozoda Zaripboeva (Uzbekistan), fall, 1:54

WIN Damola Ojo (Nigeria), tech. fall, 12-2

LOSS Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine), 6-4

WIN Anastasiya Zimiankova (Belarus), tech. fall, 12-0

WIN Kadriye Kocak Aksoy (Türkiye), 7-2