Helen Dominates

It was a historic day in Paris as the women took the mats for the first of two days for 2017 Women's Freestyle Wrestling World Championships. We tend to discount dominant performances since they usually come with a look of routine and a lack of drama. Helen was simply impressive on her way to a 3rd title putting her performance up their possibly not topped by anyone in history. 

She won five matches all by tech fall without allowing a point outscoring the field a combined 53-0. The final was not even close scoring a 4-point foot sweep in the opening seconds. 

Joining Helen in starting off the American medal haul was Becka Leathers making good on her first World Championships. She battled back after a loss to the eventual champion from Japan to win two repechage matches and claim bronze. 

Other history was made today when Marwa Amri (Tunisia) and Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria) made the finals. Their silver medals are the highest ever earned for any wrestler competing for an African country. 

The 8 women competing in the finals were from 8 different countries leaving the team race wide open as we head to day two. With American talent, the USA Women could be looking to claim their first ever team title. 

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Paris, France, August 23

Women's freestyle results

55 kg/121 lbs. 
Gold - Haruna Okuno (Japan)
Silver - Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria)
Bronze – Becka Leathers (United States) 
Bronze – Irina Kurachkina (Belarus)
5th - Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria)
5th - Mathilde Riviere (France)
7th - Mariia Gurova (Russia)
8th - Davaachimeg Erkhembayar (Mongolia)
9th - Lalita (India)
10th - Marina Sedneva (Kazakhstan)
Gold - Haruna Okuno (Japan) dec. Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria), 5-4
Bronze – Irina Kurachkina (Belarus) dec. Mathilde Riviere (France), 9-1
Bronze – Becka Leathers (United States) dec. Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria), 4-2

58 kg/128 lbs. 
Gold - Helen Maroulis (United States)
Silver - Marwa Amri (Tunisia)
Bronze – Michelle Fazzari (Canada) 
Bronze –Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan)
5th - Ningning Rong (China)
5th - Elin Nilsson (Sweden)
7th - Yessica Oviedo Perez (Dominican Republic)
8th - Iryna Khariv (Ukraine)
9th - Aminat Adeniyi (Nigeria)
10th - Giedre Blekaityte (Lithuania)
Gold - Helen Maroulis (United States) tech. fall Marwa Amri (Tunisia), 11-0
Bronze – Michelle Fazzari (Canada) dec. Elin Nilsson (Sweden), 7-0
Bronze –Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Ningning Rong (China), 6-5

63 kg/138.75 lbs. 
Gold - Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia)
Silver - Yuliia Tkach Ostapchuk (Ukraine)
Bronze –Valeria Lazinskaya (Russia) 
Bronze – Jackeline Renteria Castillo (Colombia)
5th - Hafize Sahin (Turkey)
5th - Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria)
7th - Henna Johansson (Sweden)
8th - Yukako Kawai (Japan)
9th - Veranika Ivanova (Belarus)
10th - Lais Nunes de Oliveira (Brazil)
Gold - Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia) dec. Yuliia Tkach Ostapchuk (Ukraine), 6-3
Bronze –Valeria Lazinskaya (Russia) inj. dft. Hafize Sahin (Turkey)
Bronze – Jackeline Renteria Castillo (Colombia) dec. Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria), 6-5

75 kg/165 lbs. 
Gold - Yasemin Adar (Turkey)
Silver - Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus)
Bronze –Hiroe Suzuki (Japan) 
Bronze –Justina Di Stasio (Canada) pin
5th - Epp Mae (Estonia)
5th - Paliha (China)
7th - Andrea Olaya Gutierrez (Colombia)
8th - Pooja (India)
9th - Urtnasan Gan Ochir (Mongolia)
10th - Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan)
Gold - Yasemin Adar (Turkey) dec. Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus), 5-4
Bronze –Hiroe Suzuki (Japan) dec. Epp Mae (Estonia), 6-0
Bronze –Justina Di Stasio (Canada) pin Paliha (China), 4:36

U.S. women’s performances

55 kg/121 lbs. - Becka Leathers, Choctaw, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal
WIN Ramona Galambos (Hungary), pin
LOSS Haruna Okuno (Japan), 8-0
WIN Carola Rainero (Italy), tech. fall 13-2
WIN Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria), 4-2

58 kg/127.5 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, New York, N.Y. (Sunkist Kids), gold medal
WIN Hanbit Kim (Korea), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Elin Nilsson (Sweden), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Yessica Ovieda Perez (Dominican Republic), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Michelle Fazzari (Canada), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Marwa Amri (Tunisia), tech. fall 10-0

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), dnp/14th
LOSS Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria), 10-2

75 kg/165 lbs. - Victoria Francis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC), dnp/13th
LOSS Gulmaral Yerkebayeva (Kazakhstan), 10-3

Team Standings after day one
1. Japan 21
2. Belarus 19
3. USA 18
4. Nigeria 17
5. Turkey 16
5. Canada 16
7. Mongolia 15
8. Ukraine 12
8. Russia 12
8. Colombia 12
8. China, 12