2023 Worlds: Team USA Women on Day 3 in Belgrade

Photos courtesy of Tony Rotundo / WrestlersAreWarriors.com

by Derek Levendusky

BELGRADE, SERBIA - The U.S. women’s team hit the mats for the third day in a row in Belgrade, Serbia as the UWW Senior World Championships continue. This time it’s 53 kg Dominique Parrish, 62 kg Kayla Miracle, 68 kg Emma Bruntil and 72 kg Amit Elor. Parrish and Elor are returning world champions, Miracle a returning finalist, and it’s Bruntil’s first trip to the event.

Adeline Gray is also going for bronze today, beginning with her repechage match, while Hildebrandt and Maroulis are also going to wrestle for bronze, and Kilty for gold.

Here’s how our Team USA women fared.

50 kg Sarah Hildebrandt BRONZE
Bronze match: W over Evin Demirhan (Turkey) 5-0
Hildebrandt was stingy defensively and sharp with her attacks, earning two takedowns and a step out point to win the bronze with a 5-0 victory over Demirhan. With the win, Hildebrandt becomes a 4x world medalist and Olympic bronze medalist.

53 kg Dominique Parrish ELIMINATED
Match 1: L Antim (UWW) 3-2
Shocking start to the day as returning champ Parrish went down. A leg attack got the American started early for a 2-0 lead. In spite of her high pace, that was the score at the break. Parrish was put on the clock halfway through the second, when Antim scored to go ahead 3-2. That score would hold as Parrish could not break through her opponent’s defense.

Update: Antim is still alive, reaching the semis. If she advances to the finals, Parrish will be pulled back into the tournament.

Update: Anzim appeared to win her semi with a takedown at the buzzer, but a challenge after the clock expired overturned the call and eliminated Parrish from the tournament.

57 kg Helen Maroulis BRONZE
Bronze match: Anhelina Lysak (Poland)
Maroulis struck first with a single-leg takedown to go up 2-0 about two minutes into the opening period. Lysak wrestles like a Greco wrestler, looking for throws the entire match. At the break, it was Maroulis 2-0. Lysak committed to a throw attempt in the second and went right to her back for 4-0 Maroulis lead. Another turn made it 6-0. Back on their feet, Lysak finally earned a turn during a scramble, but Helen reversed to make it 7-2. Lysak went big and funky for a 4-point throw to close the gap to 7-6. Another failed throw made it 9-6 Maroulis. That score held. Maroulis wins a wild one 9-6 and earns the bronze medal, her 9th world medal (7 Worlds, 2 Olympics).

62 kg Kayla Miracle ELIMINATED
Match 1: W over Subeen Jo (KOR) 12-2
Miracle scored first, then Jo countered with an exposure. Miracle reversed and scored two leg lace turns to make it 7-2. Another takedown, turn, and step out made it a 12-2 win by technical superiority.

Match 2: L Kriszta Incze (Romania) 6-3
Two takedowns in the first period for Incze made it 4-0 at the break. Miracle started climbing back in second with a takedown and step out, but it wasn’t enough, giving up another turn and falling 6-3.

Note: Incze lost to Bullen next round, eliminating Miracle from Worlds.

65 kg Macey Kilty SILVER
Finals: L Nonoka Ozaki (Japan) 10-0
Ozaki got to a single leg early and scored four turns to get the technical fall at 1:01.

68 kg Emma Bruntil - BRONZE MATCH
Match 1: W over Alexandra Anghel (ROM) 2-2
Slow start as the first score didn’t happen until halfway through the first period, Anghel striking first with a go-behind takedown for a 2-0 lead. That would be the score at the break. Bruntil finally put points up with front head offense mid-second period to make it 2-2. That score held for the win. Dicey start but she got it done!

Match 2: W over Feng Zhou (China) 6-3
Bruntil takes out 2x world medalist Feng Zhou! The American struck first and gave up a step out point to lead 2-1 at the break. A second period sequence went 2-2 followed by a Bruntil reversal, giving her a 5-3 lead. A failed challenge by China’s corner made it 6-3 win for Bruntil.

Quarters: W over Vusala Parfianovich (INA) 2-1
She did it! Two activity clock points gave Bruntil just enough to win a positional battle. She gave up her own shot clock point in the end but edged Parfianovich 2-1 to advance to semis and assure that she’ll be in a medal match. With the win, Bruntil has taken out two world medalists en route to the semis.

Semis: L Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia) by fall 2:46
Enkhsaikhan hit a clean double leg to start off the scoring in the match. Back on their feet, the Mongolian hit a tight headlock for 4 points to go up 6-0. Bruntil fought for almost two minutes, but Enkhsaikhan’s pressure proved too much. The fall was called at 2:46. Bruntil will wrestle for bronze tomorrow.

72 kg Amit Elor - FINALS
Match 1: W over Nesrin Bas (TUR) 7-0
Elor does Elor things. With suffocating pressure and underhooks, she dominated the ties for the 7-0 win. Efficient and patient match for the returning world champ. Bas got in on legs once and it seemed like she might score, when Elor’s defense held to keep the shut out intact.

Quarters: W over Miwa Morikawa (Japan) 6-0
Elor’s dominance continues as she pitched another shut out, this time with two takedowns and two shot clock points. With the win, Elor advances to the semis and gets closer to the opportunity to go back-to-back at Senior Worlds.

Semis: W over Kendra Dacher (France) 12-2
After holding a 6-0 lead at the break with pressure offense that earned Elor three step outs and a caution & 1, Dacher scored an exposure. Elor followed up with a step out, takedown and turn for the 12-2 victory by technical superiority. FINALS BOUND! Elor can achieve back-to-back world titles if she wins tomorrow.

76 kg Adeline Gray - BRONZE
Repechage: W over Yuanyuan Huang (CHN) by fall 2:54
A hard-fought takedown and turn put Adeline up 4-0 halfway through the first. Such a killer on top. She followed it up with another takedown and sunk a brutal wrist-control half that she ran over the the fall at 2:54. She’ll wrestle for bronze!

Bronze match: W over Milaimys Marin Potrille (Cuba) 10-6
Adeline scored first, a snatch single that she parlayed into two turns to go ahead 6-0. Portille struck next, a double leg to make it 6-2. Around two minutes into the second, Gray scored again with a takedown and turn to make it 10-2. Moments later, Portrille countered with some offense of her own, a takedown and turn to make it 10-6 as the clock expired.

The win gives Adeline her 10th world medal, making her the most decorated U.S. women’s wrestler of all-time.