Helen Maroulis made history Friday, becoming the first American woman to ever win three Olympic medals in wrestling with her bronze medal win.
Helen Maroulis earns an unprecedented third Olympic medal with a win over Hannah Taylor of Canada! Helen’s bronze in Paris will be added to her bronze from Tokyo and gold from Rio! #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/OQlbvTWg1b
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) August 9, 2024
Maroulis, a native of Rockville, Md. and a former attendee of Magruder High School, dominated her bronze medal match, winning with a pinfall from her opponent just 24 seconds into the match.
MCPS Director of Athletics Jeff Sullivan congratulated Maroulis on X, trumpeting her historic achievement.
.@MagruderAD & @MCPSAthletics alum Helen Maroulis wins bronze in wrestling, with a pin in 24 seconds! She is the 1st American wrestler to win 3 Olympic medals in women’s freestyle! Congratulations @helen_maroulis! 🥉
We are #MoCoProud! @MCPS @MontgomeryCoMD pic.twitter.com/pjIF878d1h— Jeff Sullivan (@mcpsAD) August 9, 2024
Maroulis is well-known in the world of wrestling both for her incredible accomplishments, such as winning the U.S. their first Olympic gold medal in women’s wrestling, and her story.
After the wrestler burst onto the scene in 2016 with her historic gold medal in the 53 kg weight class in Rio in 2016, Maroulis faced her fair share of trials in the sport. Namely, she suffered a series of concussions, received a PTSD diagnosis and had to go undergo shoulder surgery, a series of events that threatened to end her career.
Maroulis bucked these challenges and made a return to Olympic competition, taking home bronze in the 57 kg weight class in 2021’s Tokyo Olympics. Now, three years later, she will take the podium again as an Olympic medalist.
Whether or not she wrestles again on the Olympic stage, Maroulis’ record-setting medal cements her place in U.S. wrestling, and Olympic, history.
