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Maroulis, Conder, Hildebrandt, Velte get draws for World Championships in Budapest

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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Four U.S. women’s freestyle wrestlers received their draws for the World Wrestling Championships. Competition in their weight classes begin on Wednesday at the Papp Laszlo Arena.


2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Helen Maroulis (New York, N.Y./Sunkist Kids/NYCRTC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. opens against Alyona Kolesnik of Azerbaijan, who was fifth in the 2017 World Championships.


Also in her half-bracket are No. 2 seed Ningning Rong of China, who was fifth at the 2017 World Championships, No. 3 seed and 2014 Cadet World champion and 2014 Youth Olympic Games champion Grace Bullen of Norway, 2014 World bronze medalist Iryna Khariv of Ukraine, 2017 U23 World silver medalist Battsetseg Altansetseg of Mongolia, 2017 World bronze medalist Iriyna Kurachkina of Belarus, and 2017 World silver medalist and 2015 World bronze medalist Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria,


In the half-bracket opposite from Maroulis is 2013 and 2017 World bronze medalist Emese Barka of Hungary.


Maroulis became the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic wrestling gold medal with her memorable victory at the 2016 Rio Games at 53 kg. She has won three straight World or Olympic gold medals, taking the 2015 World title at 55 kg and the 2017 World title at 59 kg. She could add a fourth gold medal in four different weight classes with a victory at 57 kg this week.


Maroulis also boasts a 2012 World silver medal and a 2014 World bronze medal. She captured three Junior World medals for the United States, including a silver medal and two bronze medals. She was also a 2011 Pan American Games champion. Maroulis won four WCWA titles in college, three for Simon Fraser and one for Missouri Baptist. She hails from Rockville, Md.


At 50 kg/110 lbs., Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) received the No. 3 seed and will receive a bye. In the next round, she faces the winner of 2017 World bronze medalist Son-Hyang Kim of North Korea and Jo-Chi Chiu of Chinese Taipei.


Also in her half-bracket are No. 3 seed and three-time Olympic medalist and 2009 World champion Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2010 World champion Yanan Sun of China and 2015 World bronze medalist Jessica Blaszka of the Netherlands.


In the other half-bracket away from Conder are 2017 World champion Yui Susaki of Japan, 2017 World silver medalist Alina Vuc of Romania,, 2017 World bronze medalist Evin Demirhan of Turkey and 2012 World champion Jessica MacDonald of Canada,.


Conder is competing on her fourth U.S. Senior World team, after also competing at the 2011, 2014 and 2015 World Championships. She won a silver medal at the 2014 CISM World Military Championships. Conder boasts a 2018 Pan American Championships title. She was also a 2007 Junior World champion. Conder competed with the Northern Michigan Olympic Training Site, before become a USOTC resident athlete and then joining the U.S. Army WCAP program. She hails from Puyallup, Wash.


At 53 kg/116.5 lbs., Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC/OTC) received the No. 1 seed, based upon her success in the UWW Ranking Series. She will open against three-time World medalist Jyldyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan.


Others in her half-bracket include No. 4 seed and 2012 and 2017 World champion Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus.


In the other pool opposite from Hildebrandt are 2017 World champion Haruna Okuno of Japan, 2018 European champion Stalvira Orshush of Russia, 2017 World bronze medalist Maria Prevolaraki of Greece and 2013 World silver medalist Erdenchimeg Sumiya of Mongolia.


Hildebrandt is competing on her second U.S. Senior World Team, after also wrestling in the 2016 World Championships held in Budapest, where she placed 10th in the World. She has won three Pan American Championships titles (2013, 2015, 2018). She was an Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial champion in 2018, and added silver medals at the 2017 Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia and the 2016 Klippan Lady Open in Sweden. Hildebrandt was a two-time WCWA national champion and four-time finalist for King University, and hails from Granger, Ind.


At 62 kg/136.5 lbs., Mallory Velte (Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) will open against 2017 European bronze medalist Sara Dal Col of Italy.


Also in her half bracket are two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline Renteria Castillo of Colombia, and three-time World medalist Taybe Yusein of Bulgaria.


On the other side, 2014 World champion and three-time World medalist Yulia Tkach of Ukraine, two-time World bronze medalist Malin Johanna Mattsson of Sweden, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik of India, 2013 World champion and four-time World medalist Marianna Sastin of Hungary


Velte is competing on her second straight World Team for Team USA, after also wrestling at the 2017 World Championships. Velte placed fifth at the 2013 Junior World Championships. She has made the last three U.S. Women’s National Teams. Velte won University National titles in 2016 and 2017. She was a three-time WCWA national champion for Simon Fraser University, and originally hails from Sacramento, Calif.

U.S. women’s freestyle first round draws for Wednesday


50 kg/110 lbs. - Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)

Bye, winner of Jo-Chi Chiu (Taipei) and Son-Hyang Kim of North Korea

Chiu – 5th in 2016 Junior Worlds, th in 2016 and 2017 Asian Juniors

Kim - 2017 World bronze medalist, 3rd in 2018 Asian Games, 2014 Youth Olympics champion


53 kg/116.5 lbs. - Sarah Hildebrandt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC/OTC)

Vs. Jyldyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan - Three-time World medalist, 5th in 2016 Olympics


57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, New York, N.Y. (Sunkist Kids/NYCRTC)

Vs. Alyona Kolesnik (Azerbaijan), 5th in 2017 World Championships, 2015 U23 European champion


62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. Sara Dal Col (Italy), 3rd in 2017 European Championships, 5th in 2101 Junior Worlds

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