Rockville's Helen Maroulis Brings Home The Gold In 57Kg Wrestling

ROCKVILLE, MD — Former Rockville resident Helen Maroulis won the 57 kg bronze in women's wrestling this week, five years after she made history by becoming the first U.S. woman to win gold.

Maroulis suffered from concussions and a neck injury in 2018 that resulted in a post traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, anxiety, and a sensitivity to light and sound, TEAM USA reported.

The wrestler said she wondered at first why she didn't feel disappointed when she lost in the semi-finals, The Washington Post reported.

“But then I realized I spent four years trying to get back my wrestling the way that it felt and be able to not have fear and fire off and be healthy,” she said, according to The Washington Post. “And I’m like, ‘That’s the biggest gift.’ Honestly, if I won the gold medal the way that I was before, sloppy, I don’t think I would have enjoyed that very much. I would have rather taken the bronze and wrestled like I did.”

Japan's Risako Kawai won gold, and Belarus's Iryna Kurachkina won silver.