Helen Maroulis becomes first US female wrestler to qualify for three Olympic teams
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Helen Maroulis, the first American woman to win a wrestling gold medal, became the first U.S. female wrestler to qualify for three Summer Games as she earned a spot Saturday night on the American team for Paris.
Maroulis, competing at 57 kilograms, dominated former Olympian Jacarra Winchester in a best-of-three series.
The two-time Olympic medalist Maroulis topped Winchester with a pin in the first match and a 6-0 decision in the second, sweeping the series. With a bloodied nose, Maroulis bowed to a sea of cheering fans before having her arm raised by the official at the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State’s campus.
“It just makes me think back to myself as a little girl, and if you told me that I was gonna do this, I don’t think I would’ve believed you,” Maroulis said, adding she wasn’t aware she was breaking a record.