Team USA’s Amit Elor became the youngest American wrestler to win Olympic gold on Tuesday, finishing atop the podium in the women’s 68 kilogram final. The 20-year-old Bay Area native lost her brother in 2018 and her father in 2022.
American Sarah Hildebrandt won gold in the women's freestyle 50kg event at the 2024 Olympics on Wednesday, and the victory has her seemingly over the moon.
Shortly after defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 3-0, Hildebrandt posted to X, saying, "Oh my gosh I just won the FREAKING OLYMPICS hahahahah DUUUUDE."
"YOU SURE DID." Team USA's X account replied.
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Hildebrandt's win was her first Olympic gold medal, and second overall. The 30-year-old won bronze in the same event in Tokyo.
India's Vinesh Phogat, who defeated Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semifinal match on Tuesday, was originally slated to wrestle against Hildebrandt in the gold medal match, but Phogat was disqualified when she weighed in 100 grams above the 50kg weight limit ahead of the final match Wednesday.
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For some perspective, 100 grams is the equivalent to around 0.22 pounds, which is approximately the weight of a bar of soap.
Also with her win, Hildebrandt became the fourth American woman wrestler to win gold in the Olympics, and the second to win gold at the Paris Games.
Hildebrandt's teammate, 20-year-old Amit Elor, won gold in the women's freestyle 68kg event on Tuesday.
The other two American women wrestlers to win gold are Helen Maroulis, who won in 2016, and Tamyra Mensah-Stock, who won in 2021.
And Team USA's women's wrestling squad is not done yet, with Maroulis and Olivia Dominique Parrish still competing in Paris.
Women's wrestling first became an Olympic event in 2004.
