Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hildebrandt leads new Real American Freestyle wrestling signees
Hildebrandt became the fourth American woman to win a gold medal in Olympic wrestling when she defeated Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba in the 50-kilogram final last year in Paris.
Other signees the new company announced Thursday are Olympic silver medalist Lucía 'Jami' Yepez Guzman, Audrey Jimenez and Zeltin Hernandez Guerra. They join Kennedy Blades, a silver medalist for the United States at the Paris Olympics, as the anchors of the women's division.
'Real American Freestyle was created to trailblaze, and these incredible women joining our roster are a critical part of that,' RAF commissioner Hulk Hogan said in a statement.
Yepez Guzman, who is from Ecuador, was a silver medalist at the Paris Olympics. She also won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, the 2021 Junior Pan American Games and the 2021 U23 World Wrestling Championships.
Jimenez, 19, was a U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up. She was the first female to win an Arizona state championship in the boys division. She won the 2025 Senior Pan American Championships at 50 kilograms last month, with a win over Guzman Lopez in the semifinals.
Hernandez Guerra is a Mexican who won gold at the U23 Pan American Championships last year.
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Double Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier dies in climbing accident aged 31, according to her management
Double Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier has died in a climbing accident aged 31, her management and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) confirmed to CNN Sports. The retired German biathlete was struck by falling rocks at around midday local time on Monday while climbing Pakistan's Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range, her team said on Instagram Tuesday. 'The DOSB and the whole of German sport mourn the loss of Laura Dahlmeier,' Thomas Weikert, President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, said in a statement to CNN Sports. 'We are deeply shocked by the sudden and much too early death of this wonderful person. Our thoughts are with her family and friends and we will offer our support wherever we can. 'Laura was a role model and inspiration to so many of us in and out of sport. She always had clear goals in mind and pursued her dreams.' A rescue operation began on Monday after Dahlmeier's climbing partner, Marina Eva, sent out a distress signal. But due to low visibility and bad weather, the rescue operation had been unable to deploy its military helicopters, said Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government, per the Associated Press. Dahlmeier's team also said that the remoteness of the area meant that a rescue helicopter was only able to reach the scene of the accident and observe her on Tuesday morning. According to a statement from Dahlmeier's management on Wednesday, the biathlete specifically asked that no one should risk their life to rescue her or recover her body in the event of an accident. 'The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the rescue team, especially the local mountaineers,' her management team said in Wednesday's statement. 'They did everything possible to facilitate the rescue and reach the accident victim.' Dahlmeier, who is 31, made history at the 2018 Winter Olympics when she became the first female biathlete ever to win gold in both the sprint and pursuit events at the same Winter Games. That success came a year after she became the first biathlete to win five gold medals at a single world championship. She retired from the sport in 2019 at the age of 25. 'We say goodbye to a wonderful person,' her management team added in Wednesday's statement. 'With her warm and straightforward manner, Laura enriched our lives and the lives of many others. 'She showed us that it is worth fighting for your dreams and goals and always staying true to yourself. We are deeply grateful, dear Laura, that we were able to be a part of your life. Our shared memories give us the strength and courage to continue on our path.' DOSB President Weikert also paid tribute to the 31-year-old, writing: 'Laura Dahlmeier leaves behind a legacy that goes far beyond medals: her dedication to sport, her passion for nature and her commitment to society make her an inspiring personality. 'Her story remains. As a daughter, sister, friend, Olympian and biathlon legend. Laura will forever remain an integral part of Team Germany. We will miss her.'
Yahoo
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Two-time Olympic gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier dead at 31 after climbing accident
German biathlete and two-time Olympic gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier died Monday in a climbing accident. She was 31. Dahlmeier's death was confirmed by her team in a post on Instagram. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) also confirmed Dahlmeier's death in a statement to CNN. 'The DOSB and the whole of German sport mourn the loss of Laura Dahlmeier,' Thomas Weikert, president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, said in a statement to CNN Sports. 'We are deeply shocked by the sudden and much too early death of this wonderful person. Our thoughts are with her family and friends and we will offer our support wherever we can. 'Laura was a role model and inspiration to so many of us in and out of sport. She always had clear goals in mind and pursued her dreams.' Dahlmeier was reportedly struck by a falling rock while climbing Laila Peak in Pakistan on Monday. Her climbing partner, Marina Eva, sent out a distress signal, but helicopters could not be dispatched due to low visibility and poor weather, per CNN. Helicopters were unable to reach the scene of the accident until Tuesday. Dahlmeier competed in both the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics. She did not medal in 2014, but made a name for herself in 2018, when she became the first woman to win the biathlon sprint and pursuit events during a single Olympics. Dahlmeier also won a bronze medal in the 15km individual event in 2018. Prior to the 2018 Olympics, Dahlmeier dominated at the Biathlon World Championships, securing five gold medals at the 2017. She won two additional golds at the World Championships, one in 2015 and one in 2016. In 2019, Dahlmeier retired from biathlon at 25. Following her retirement, Dahlmeier wrote a children's book, served as a biathlon commentator in Germany and competed in mountain running.
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McLaughlin-Levrone, Lyles headline US championships
Olympic stars Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Noah Lyles headline a star-studded line-up as the US Track and Field Championships get underway on Thursday with places at the Tokyo World Championships up for grabs. Four days of high-calibre competition begin at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, with an array of Olympic gold medallists and reigning world champions on duty. Many of the biggest names in the field -- such as Olympic 100m champion Lyles -- have already secured their tickets to the World Championships in September due to their status as reigning world champions. However there remain plenty of unanswered questions as the competition at the spiritual home of US athletics begins. Arguably the most intrigue surrounds two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion McLaughlin-Levrone, who has not lost in her signature event since 2019. The 25-year-old cemented her status as the greatest women's 400m hurdler in history a year ago in Paris as she stormed to her second Olympic gold in the event in a world record 50.37sec. But McLaughlin-Levrone has raised eyebrows heading into this week's meeting by electing to skip the 400m hurdles and concentrate on the 400m flat instead. It means that McLaughlin-Levrone, who missed the 2023 Budapest world championships with a knee injury, risks missing out on competing in the hurdles in Tokyo, although she could still qualify for the event with victory in the Diamond League finals in August. - All eyes on Richardson - In the women's short sprints, meanwhile, all eyes will be on reigning 100m world champion Sha'Carri Richardson. Richardson's upset victory in Budapest two years ago means she is assured of a place in the field in Tokyo. But this week's event offers observers a good barometer of Richardson's form and fitness as he prepares to defend her title in Japan. The 25-year-old has struggled to find her best form in two outings in the 100m so far this season, her best time a modest 11.19sec -- ranking her 96th in the world -- at the Prefontaine Classic, also held at Hayward Field, earlier this month. The opening heats of the 100m take place on Thursday, with the final due on Friday. Richardson may well find herself in the slipstream of rising star and training partner Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who owns the fastest time in the 100m this year at 10.73sec. Richardson and Jefferson-Wooden are also entered in the 200m, where they will face Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, silver medallist at the 2023 Worlds in Budapest. In the men's sprints, the pressure is off for reigning 100m and 200m world champion Lyles. But the charismatic Olympic champion will be looking for signs of a return to form after losing his first 100m of the season at the Diamond League in London on July 19 as he works his way back from an ankle tendon problem. Lyles can expect stiff opposition from a resurgent Kenny Bednarek in the 100m, with veteran Trayvon Bromell also in the mix. Elsewhere, the men's 400m has been opened up by the withdrawal of Olympic champion Quincy Hall, while the women's 800m sees a return for Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Athing Mu-Nikolayev, a late entry to the trials. In the men's 110m hurdles, three-time world champion and reigning Olympic champion Grant Holloway is in action. Women's 100m hurdles Olympic champion Masai Russell is also aiming to secure her place in Tokyo. rcw/bb
