U.S. wrestling team for World Championships nearly set after Final X
Maroulis, Blades and Lee were among the winners at Saturday's Final X — a series of best-of-three finals per weight class — to determine the roster for worlds in Croatia.
Maroulis, who in 2016 became the first U.S. woman to win Olympic wrestling gold, swept Amanda Martinez for the 57kg spot.
Maroulis, 33, is currently tied with Adeline Gray for the most combined Olympic and world medals for a U.S. female wrestler (10). She is also the lone U.S. female wrestler to win three Olympic medals, also taking bronze in Tokyo and Paris.
Blades, a 76kg silver medalist in Paris in her Olympic debut, moved down to 68kg and swept Brooklyn Hays to make her first senior world team at age 21.
Lee, the Paris Olympic 57kg silver medalist, is going to his first senior worlds after sweeping Luke Lilledahl. Lee is already a world champion at the U17 and U20 levels.
At 86kg, Zahid Valencia swept two-time Olympic 74kg bronze medalist Kyle Dake. It's the first time that Dake, a two-time world champion each at 74kg and 79kg, has been beaten for a world team spot since 2017.
Neither of the Americans who won gold in Paris competed at Final X. Sarah Hildebrandt has retired, and Amit Elor missed the event for health reasons.
2025 USA Wrestling Final X Results
Women's Freestyle
50kg: Audrey Jimenez def. Erin Golston 10-2, 12-2
53kg: Felicity Taylor def. Brianna Gonzalez 2-1, 6-4
55kg: Cristelle Rodriguez def. Everest Leydecker 12-8, 8-5
57kg; Helen Maroulis def. Amanda Martinez pin, fall
59kg: Jacarra Winchester def. Abigail Nette 4-6, 9-7, 11-0
62kg: Adaugo Nwachukwu def. Kayla Miracle 14-8, 3-4, 8-4
65kg: Macey Kilty def. Aine Drury 10-0, 10-0
68kg: Kennedy Blades def. Brooklyn Hays 10-4, 5-2
72kg: Alexandria Glaude wins by forfeit (Amit Elor withdrew for health reasons)
76kg: Kylie Welker def. Dymond Guilford 2-1, 9-1
Men's Freestyle
57kg: Spencer Lee def. Luke Lilledahl 7-2, 6-0
61kg: Vito Arujau vs. Jax Forrest on July 14 after Arujau received an injury delay.
65kg: Real Woods def. Joey McKenna 7-3, 5-4
70kg: PJ Duke def. Yianni Diakomihalis 0-10, 17-10, fall
74kg: David Carr def. Mitchell Mesenbrink 4-3, 4-4
79kg: Levi Haines def. Evan Wick 10-0, 6-1
86kg: Zahid Valencia def. Kyle Dake 5-3, 4-1
92kg: Trent Hidlay def. Joshua Barr 6-1, 3-2
97kg: Kyle Snyder def. Hayden Zillmer 8-0, 8-2
125kg: Wyatt Hendrickson def. Trent Hillger 10-0, 20-14
Nick Zaccardi,
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