Two world-class freestyle wrestlers have deep ties to Montgomery County, and both are looking to take home gold in Paris.
Kyle Snyder and Helen Maroulis, both multi-time Olympians, are aiming to cement their legacies with deep medal runs.
Before they compete, here are a few things to know about each athlete.
Kyle Snyder
Via @Snyder_man45 on X.
Kyle Snyder, an alumnus of Good Counsel, is competing in his third Olympic Games, having already won gold in the 97 kg class in 2016 and silver in 2020.
Snyder has excelled outside of Olympic competition, becoming one of the most successful high school and collegiate wrestlers of all time.
At Good Counsel, Snyder amassed a 179-0 record and won three prep national championships, earning himself the top spot in FloWrestling’s pound-for-pound rankings by the end of his junior season.
At Ohio State, Snyder won three straight heavyweight NCAA championships, 2016 through 2018, despite suffering an injury during the course of his 2017 run. He ended his career as the only collegiate wrestler in history to win the NCAA, World and Olympic championships while still in school.
Helen Maroulis
PHOTO: Helen Maroulis
Helen Maroulis, born in Rockville and a former student at Magruder High School, is taking on her third Olympic Games and second in the 57 kg class.
Maroulis, who is a graduate of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, won a gold in Rio in 2016 in the lighter 53 kg class, then took a bronze in 57 kg in Tokyo. Her gold medal in Rio was the first U.S. Olympic gold in a women’s wrestling event.
Maroulis has won numerous international awards, including Olympic golds and golds at several World Championship, Pan American, and World Cup events.
Both Snyder and Maroulis are among the favorites to take home medals in Paris.
Maroulis will start her medal quest Thursday, while Snyder will take the mat for the first time on Saturday.
