2023 Worlds: U.S. Women on Day 2 in Belgrade

Photos courtesy of Tony Rotundo / WrestlersAreWarriors.com

BELGRADE, SERBIA - Action continues on Day 2 of the World Championships as 76 kg Adeline Gray seeks her seventh world title and 57 kg Helen Maroulis her fifth. Meanwhile, 50 kg Sarah Hildebrandt looks to get back on the podium and 65 kg Macey Kilty competes at her first Senior Worlds.

55 kg Jacarra Winchester SILVER
Gold match: L Haruna Okuno (Japan) 4-2

59 kg Jennifer Page BRONZE
Bronze match: W over Alyona Kolesnik (AZE) by fall 1:40

65 kg Macey Kilty - FINALS
Match 1: W over Valeriia Suvorova (AIN) 10-0
She got right to work with a leg attack and trap arm gut. Finished it with a suplex once action transitioned to their feet. It all took about a minute.

Match 2: W over Albina Drazhi (Albania) by fall
Kilty got to her single early to take the 2-0 lead less than a minute in. It didn’t take long to score another takedown and gut wrench to make it 8-0. One more double leg finished it off but not before she secured a fall at 2:28.

Quarters: W over Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria) 11-2
Leaning on her reliable leg attacks, Kilty advances to the semis with an 11-2 win.

Semis: W over Tatsiana Paulava (Individual Neutral Athlete) 10-0
She did it! Kilty punched her ticket to the finals with another dominating win. First she scored a takedown and three laces, making it 8-0. Then she finished it with another takedown to earn her first trip to the Senior World finals in her first trip to the UWW Senior World Championships.

76 kg Adeline Gray - BRONZE MATCH
Match 1: W over Jimin Baek (KOR) 10-0
It was all over in 31 seconds as Gray scored a takedown and went right to a leg lace for the 10-0 tech fall.

Match 2: W over Epp Mae (Estonia) 11-0
This one was a rematch of the finals of 2021 Worlds, a match Gray won. And this time, she won again, scoring with a head pinch throw by to a match-ending gut wrench.

Match 3: L vs. Yuka Kagami (Japan) 4-1
Gray loses a frustrating battle against Kagami, unable to get in on the Japanese wrestler’s defense. Gray’s fate is now in the hands of Kagami, as she has to wait to see if Kagami makes the finals before she’s pulled back into repechage.

57 kg Helen Maroulis - BRONZE MATCH
Match 1: W over Nes Rodriguez (PUR) by fall
Maroulis hit 4-point dump on opening exchange and never looked back. Secured a fall at 1:26.

Match 2: W over Graciela Sanchez-Diaz (ESP) by fall
Total domination again by Maroulis, securing the fall at 2:13. That 2-0 with two pins for the 2016 Olympic gold medalist.

Quarters: W over Zhala Aliyeva (AZE) 8-3
Helen got in trouble early after scoring a takedown, when she got stepped over on a gut wrench attempt to go down 2-2. A step out point put Maroulis ahead 3-2 at the break. A takedown with a throw-by a minute into the second gained a 5-2 lead, followed by another takedown to make it 7-2. The Azerbaijan opponent seemed committed to try to go big on Maroulis with throws, punching underhooks and overhooks the whole match. Helen was patient, held position, and defended everything for the 8-3 win and trip to the semis.

Semis: L Tsugumi Sakurai (Japan) 6-0
Three takedowns did it for Sakurai. Helen will wrestle for bronze.

50 kg Sarah Hildebrandt - BRONZE MATCH
Hildebrandt had a first round bye and had to wait for the winner of another match.

Match 1: W over Miseon Kwan (KOR) 10-0
Hildebrandt started with a beautiful ankle pick that she transitioned into a gut wrench to go up 4-0. Once back on their feet, it was standard Hildebrandt offense, using a slide-by to single for a takedown, and finishing it off with two leg laces for the 10-0 victory.

Quarters: W over Maria Stadnik (AZE) 14-3
In a battle of Olympic medalists, Hildebrandt prevailed in a match that was back and forth early against the 35-year-old Stadnik. As the match continued, Hildebrandt took over with her superior wrestling in neutral position, winning 14-3 and advancing to the semis. Stadnik was a 2-time world champ and 4-time Olympic medalist. On another mat, world champ Yui Susaki also advanced to one of the semis.

Semis: L vs. Otgonjargal (Mongolia) 7-5
Hildebrandt falls to Otgonjargal and will wrestle for bronze. Though Hildebrandt held a 1-0 lead at the break after a shot clock point, Otgonjargal struck next, a huge sequence where she ended up scoring 7 points. With Hildebrandt on the clock, the Mongolian scored a takedown and two turns to make the score 7-1. Hildebrandt added two takedowns, but couldn’t overcome the deficit.