Meet Helen Maroulis, the first U.S. women’s wrestler to compete at 3 Olympic Games

Helen Maroulis is a wrestler who represents the United States in women’s freestyle. At the USA Olympic Team Trials 2024 Wrestling, she made headlines after becoming the first USA woman to make three Olympic Games.

Maroulis qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 in the women’s 57kg class after defeating Jacarra Winchester in the Best-of-Three Finals. She pinned the latter in the first round and won the second round by 6-0.

With this, let’s explore more about the 32-year-old who will be competing in her third successive Olympics as she advanced as the oldest USA female wrestler to compete in the history of the Games.

Helen Maroulis’ hometown and family

Maroulis was born on September 19, 1991, in Rockville, Maryland, to Paula and Yiannis "John" Maroulis.

Helen Maroulis’ Education

Maroulis went to the Magruder High School for three years and attended the Marquette Senior High School in Michigan. She initially became a part of the women's wrestling team at the Missouri Baptist University in Missouri and then shifted base to Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.

Helen Maroulis’ Junior Wrestling Career

In her freshman year at Magruder High School, she became the first wrestler to earn a placement at the Maryland State Wrestling Championships. She achieved 99 career wins during her high school career.

At the World Juniors Championships (U20), she clinched three medals, winning a silver in 2011 and two bronze medals in 2008 and 2010 editions.

Helen Maroulis’ Olympics journey

Women's Freestyle 57kg bronze medalist Helen Louise Maroulis poses with her medal on day thirteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Makuhari Messe Hall on August 05, 2021, in Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Maroulis was a member of the USA squad in both the Rio Olympics 2016 and Tokyo Olympics 2020. She made every opportunity count by winning medals in both editions. At the Rio Games, she earned the USA’s first gold medal in women’s wrestling by defeating three-time Olympic champion, Saori Yoshida from Japan by 4-1 in the 53kg finals.

Defending her gold medal, she lost to Japan’s Risako Kawai in the 57kg semi-finals in Tokyo. However, she bounced back and secured third place by beating Mongolia's Khongorzul Boldsaikhan in the bronze medal match (repechage).

Helen Maroulis’ performance at the World Wrestling Championships

Maroulis has won a total of three gold, two silver, and two bronze medals, at the World Wrestling Championships across multiple weight classes. This includes gold in 55kg in 2015, 58kg in 2017, 57kg in 2021, silver in 55kg in 2012, 57kg in 2022, and bronze in 55kg in 2014 and 57kg in 2023.

A look at Helen Maroulis’ other top accomplishments

Maroulis is also a three-time Pan American Championships medalist (a gold and a bronze in the 55kg and a gold in 57kg). Additionally, she won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in the 55kg in the 2011 edition.