USA Women Win Junior World Team Title!
USA Women Win Junior World Team Title!
See how the Women's Team for the USA made history by winning the team championships at the 2021 Junior Worlds.
Women’s wrestling at the 2021 Junior World Championships concluded and the team race came down to the final matches of the tournament! Take a look below to see how the action played out and how Team USA made history.
Team USA - World Champs
The USA Women’s team won the title at the Junior World Championships for the first time ever. The team race with India and Russia could not have been closer coming down to the last set of medal matches. Throughout the final session, the lead between the two countries traded back and forth but Team USA ultimately clinched the title with India losing in the 72kg bronze medal match. Though that match clinched it, it was a true team effort from every wrestler on the squad. Team USA earned 10 key points this round when Alara Boyd won her repechage match and another 5 with Korina Blades winning bronze. At 72kg, Kennedy Blades was the last match of the women's tournament and capped it off perfectly with a quick, 16 second pin; becoming the 4th gold medalist of the week for the women.
Kennedy Blades gold medal performance:
Take a look below to see the final team standings:
| United States | 143 |
| Russia | 134 |
| India | 134 |
| Belarus | 96 |
| Turkey | 92 |
| Kazakhstan | 85 |
| Mongolia | 67 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 57 |
| Poland | 45 |
| Moldova | 45 |
Watch Korina Blades win world bronze:
A Bright Future For Team USA
On top of becoming the first women’s team to win a junior world team title for the USA, there were multiple notable, and even historic, performances from this tournament. The 5 total medals were the most all time for a junior women’s team with 4 individual golds also being a record. In fact, a women’s team for USA never had more than 1 world gold in a year at junior worlds. Amit Elor is another standout performer - not only did she win 2 world titles this summer, she recorded a bonus win in every match of Cadet and Junior Worlds! Beyond that, Emily Shilson, Amit Elor, Kennedy Blades, and Kyle Welker all recorded techs or pins in their gold medal matches! The future could not look better for women’s wrestling in America.
Check out the finishes for the entire USA Women’s Team:
- 50kg - Emily Shilson - Gold
- 53kg - Jaslynn Gallegos - 5th
- 55kg - Payton Stroud - DNP
- 57kg - Claire Dicugno - DNP
- 59kg - Mia Macaluso - 10th
- 62kg - Korina Blades - Gold
- 65kg - Alara Boyd - 5th
- 68kg - Amit Elor - Gold
- 72kg - Kennedy Blades - Gold
- 76kg - Kylie Welker - Gold
For full results and video links to all matches - check out FloArena HERE.