Helen Maroulis
![]() Maroulis in 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Helen Louise Maroulis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | September 19, 1991 Rockville, Maryland, U.S. | (age 32)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | Simon Fraser University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 57 kg (126 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Sunkistkids Wrestling Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | Mark Perry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Helen Louise Maroulis (Greek: Ελένη Μαρούλη; born September 19, 1991) is an American freestyle wrestler who competes in the women's 55-kg 53-kg and 57-kg categories. She was a gold medalist at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada and a gold medalist at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil she became the first-ever American to win a gold medal in women's freestyle wrestling at the Olympic Games.[1][2]
Background
Maroulis was born in Rockville, Maryland,[citation needed] the daughter of Paula and Yiannis "John" Maroulis.[3] Her father is Greek.[4] She attended Magruder High School for three years, where as a freshman she became the first female wrestler to place at the Maryland state wrestling championships.[5] She was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler of a tournament, by pinning a senior boy who had won the year before, and finished high school with 99 career victories.[6]
She then moved to Marquette Senior High School in Marquette, Michigan and then went to join Missouri Baptist University women's wrestling team in Saint Louis, Missouri, before ultimately transferring to compete for Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.[7] At the age-group level, Maroulis was a three-time Junior World medalist (bronze in 2008 & 2010, silver in 2011).[3]
As of 2014, she trained at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University.[3] Her grandparents emigrated to the United States from the Greek island Kalamos in the 1960s. Maroulis visited her father's island a few weeks after her victory at Rio, and was given an award by the local community.[8]
Rio Summer Olympics 2016
Maroulis beat Saori Yoshida 4-1 to win a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. This was the first Olympic gold medal for the United States in a women's wrestling event.[9]
World Championship 2017
Maroulis won her third consecutive gold medal at the world championships or Olympics defeating Olympic bronze medalist Marwa Amri of Tunisia in the finals of the 58-kilogram/128-pound weight class with an 11-0 technical fall.[10]
Pro Wrestling League
On January 16, 2018, Pooja Dhanda defeated Maroulis in the Pro Wrestling League.[11][12]
World Championship 2018
Maroulis was defeated in the first round by fall by Azerbaijan’s Alyona Kolesnik, a shocking upset for the defending world and Olympic champion. The defeat has been attributed to a serious head injury (concussion from a tournament in January 2018[13]). As Maroulis stated in post-match interview “I’m so used to telling someone, hey, don’t touch my head.” The injury was significant enough to cause Maroulis to delay her world team qualifier match, and significantly limited her live sparring prior to the event. It is reported that she was so limited by the injury that she only returned to live practice about 10 days before her rescheduled qualifying series.[14]
Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020
Maroulis won a bronze medal by defeating Mongolia’s Khongorzul Boldsaikhan after losing to Risako Kawai of Japan in the 57kg semifinals. With the bronze medal, Maroulis became the first wrestler in women's wrestling for the U.S.A. to win two Olympic medals.[15]
Ivan Yariguin Grand Prix 2022
Maroulis won a gold medal in the 57kg finals by forfeit as her opponent Olga Khoroshavtseva of Russia was sick.[16][17]
Match results
References
- ^ "Helen Maroulis to face Venezuela's Marcia Andrades at Beat The Streets". The Open Mat. May 4, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ Goldich, Mitch. "Q&A: Helen Maroulis's Difficult Path Back to the Olympics". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Athlete Bio: Helen Maroulis". TeamUSA.org. Archived from the original on November 2, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ Chrysopoulos, Philip (August 19, 2016). "Who Is Olympic Gold Medalist Helen Maroulis". USA.GreekReporter.com. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ^ "Magruder's Maroulis Makes Maryland History".
- ^ "Rockville's Maroulis eyes spot on U.S. Olympic women's wrestling squad".
- ^ "Simon Fraser University | Canada Clan Alumna Helen Maroulis Wins Wrestling Gold for USA at Rio 2016". Athletics.sfu.ca. August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ^ Ο Κάλαμος τίμησε την Ελένη Μαρούλη
- ^ "Helen Maroulis Wins First Gold Medal for U.S. in Women's Wrestling". Time. Time. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ "Helen Maroulis' dominance continues as she wins gold at world championships".
- ^ "Pro Wrestling League: Pooja Dhanda stuns Olympic champion Helen Marouli as Punjab Royals beat Haryana Hammers - Firstpost". www.firstpost.com. January 17, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ Scroll Staff. "PWL: Pooja Dhanda stuns Olympic champion Helen Maroulis again as Punjab Royals defend title". Scroll.in. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ "Helen Maroulis wrestled in the dark with concussion". May 16, 2018.
- ^ "Helen Maroulis' world championships streak ends after life-altering year". October 24, 2018.
- ^ "Helen Maroulis didn't need history-making bronze to prove Olympic success isn't measured in medals". August 5, 2021.
- ^ "Maroulis Wins Gold, Kilty Silver, Snyder and Nolf Advance to Yariguin Finals". January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2022 Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- {{UWW}} template missing ID.
- Helen Louise Maroulis at Olympics.com
- Helen Maroulis at Team USA (archived October 8, 2021)
- Helen Maroulis at Olympedia
- "Helen Maroulis at Rio2016.com". Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- Helen Maroulis Fan Site
- American female sport wrestlers
- American people of Greek descent
- 1991 births
- Living people
- Wrestlers at the 2011 Pan American Games
- Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
- American sportswomen
- World Wrestling Championships medalists
- Wrestlers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in wrestling
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Pan American Games medalists in wrestling
- Sportspeople from Rockville, Maryland
- Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games
- Wrestlers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in wrestling
- 21st-century American women
- 20th-century American women