Paris Preview: Maroulis in search of U.S. record third Olympic medal in women’s wrestling at 57 kg

The No. 1 seed is three-time World champion Tsugumi Sakurai of Japan. Sakurai won her first World title at 55 kg in 2021, then claimed the next two at 57 kg. In the 2024 Asian Championships, she lost in the finals to China’s Yongxin Feng. Sakurai was 2016 U17 World champion. Her half-bracket will include No. 4 Anehlina Lysak of Poland, No. 5 Helen Maroulis of the USA and No. 8 Luisa Valverde of Ecuador.

Maroulis was the first U.S. woman to win Olympic gold (2016), the first to win two Olympic medals (2020 bronze) and the first to make three Olympic teams. She boasts nine World/Olympic medals and beat the legend Saori Yoshida of Japan in the Rio finals. To get another gold, she must beat Sakurai, who shut her out in 2022 and 2023 Worlds. Lysak, a 2022 World bronze medalist, was fifth in the 2023 Worlds and a two-time age-group World. Valverde, a 2020 2023 Pan American champion, was a 2020 Olympian and won 2011 U20 World bronze.

The No. 2 seed is 2022 World champion Anastasia Nichita of Moldova. Nichita won her World title at 59 kg, and lost to Sakurai in the 2023 World finals. She was a 2020 Olympian and 2018 U20 World champion. Her half bracket features No. 3 Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria, No. 6 Kexin Hong of China and No. 7 Guila Penalber of Brazil.

Adekuoroye is a four-time Senior World medalist (three bronzes, one silver) and is in her third Olympic Games. A fan favorite, her height and style offers challenges to top opponents. Hong earned China’s quota at 57 kg at the Asian Olympic Qualifier and has three international golds so far in 2024. Penalber, a 2023 Pan American Games champion, has not medalled in seven Senior World appearances.

Among those unseeded are Anshu of India, a 2022 World silver medalist who lost to Maroulis in the finals. Anshu was a 2020 Olympian and won four age-group World medals. 2022 World bronze medalist Alina Hrushyna Akobiia of Ukraine has won three Senior European titles. Aurora Russo of Italy, a 2023 U20 World champion, and Khongorzul Boldsaikhan of Mongolia, who was fifth in the 2020 Olympics, are talented. Watch for Canada’s Hannah Taylor, a 2023 Pan American Games silver medalist and two-time U23 World bronze medalist. Others include 2024 African silver medalist Chaimaa Aouissi of Algeria, 2022 and 2023 European bronze medalist Sandra Paraszewski of Germany and 2020 Olympian Rckaela Aquino of Guam.

57 kg WFS Seeded Wrestlers

No. 1 Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)

No. 2 Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)

No. 3 Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)

No. 4 Anhelina LYSAK (POL)

No. 5 Helen MAROULIS (USA)

No. 6 Kexin HONG (CHN)

No. 7 Giulia PENALBER (BRA)

No. 8 Luisa VALVERDE (ECU)

57 kg WFS Olympians (to be drawn in)

Chaimaa AOUISSI (ALG)

Hannah TAYLOR (CAN)

Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)

Rckaela AQUINO (GUM)

ANSHU (IND)

Aurora RUSSO (ITA)

Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL)

Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)

(Local Paris time, six hours ahead of U.S. time zone)

Thursday, August 8, 2024

11:00 a.m. - Repechage Men’s Greco Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53 kg

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals - Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57 kg.

6:15 p.m. - Semifinals - Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57 kg

7:15 p.m. - Medal Rounds in Men’s Greco-Roman 67-87 kg and Women’s Freestyle 53kg

Friday, August 9, 2024

11:00 a.m. - Repechage Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57 kg

11:30 a.m. - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals - Men’s Freestyle 74-125 kg and Women’s Freestyle 62 kg.

6:15 p.m. - Semifinals - Men’s Freestyle 74-125 kg and Women’s Freestyle 62 kg

7:15 p.m. - Medal Rounds in Men’s Freestyle 57-86 kg and Women’s Freestyle 57kg