PARIS—Sarah Hildebrandt, who is from Indiana, has won an Olympic gold medal!
Wednesday afternoon, the 30-year-old from Granger beat Yusneylys Guzmán Lopez of Cuba by a score of 3-0 in the gold medal match of the women’s wrestling freestyle 50 kg event.
Hildebrandt sank a shot for two points in the first half. After Guzman Lopez was punished for not doing enough during an activity time, she got another point.
She got a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021, so this is her first Olympic gold medal.
It was Hildebrandt’s third straight win on Tuesday, which put her in the gold medal match. Vinesh Phogat of India was meant to wrestle her for the gold medal, but Phogat was kicked out because he didn’t gain weight. As of now, she has appealed.
She is the fourth woman from Team USA to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling. Elor, another wrestler, won gold on Tuesday in the 68 kg class, making her the youngest U.S. wrestler to ever win a gold medal. Helen Maroulis won gold in Rio, and Tamyra Mensah Stock won gold in Tokyo.
Hildebrandt has won four medals at the Senior World Championships, been on six U.S. World Teams, and won seven gold medals at the Pan-American Championships. She wrestled in college at King University and was a national winner twice and a finalist four times in the Women’s College Wrestling Association.