Athletes to Watch: Helen Maroulis Harry How via Getty Images In 2016, Helen Maroulis became the first American woman to win a gold medal in wrestling. She did so by defeating the three-time defending Olympic champion and 13-time reigning world champion, Saori Yoshida of Japan. Maroulis got into the sport because her brother needed a training partner. She followed up her Rio performance with a world title in 2017 (she also is a 2015 world champion), but has had a series of injuries slow her progress – she suffered a concussion in January 2018, then a shoulder injury that required surgery in the fall of that year. Though she will miss the 2019 World Championships as a result, she says she is still feeling confident for 2020. Visit Helen's Team USA profile Athlete Info Sport Wrestling Height 5'3" Weight 116 Date of Birth September 19, 1991 Hometown Rockville, MD Current Residence Hoboken, NJ Trivia During high school, many opposing coaches would have whomever was slated to wrestle Helen forfeit the match, at times to sabotage. This fueled Helen to get better and her coach urged her to go to the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Grow your Olympic knowledge Origin Stories: Kate Courtney Kate Courtney doesn't care if she is the best at most things she tries, but, when it comes to mountain biking, she wants to be standing atop the podium. So You Want to Try Skeleton? Are you an adrenaline junkie? Lolo Spencer’s Dreams Came True and Now She’s Using Her Voice to Help Others Lolo explains how Los Angeles has given her an opportunity to chase her dreams and push for inclusion. Simone Biles Shares At-Home Workout Plans, Concerns About Remaining in Mental Shape for Tokyo Simone Biles is now looking for news ways to stay active after her Olympic training has been put on hold. Winning at Jamal: His Road to the LA28 Games Jamal explains what the LA28 games mean to him. Tokyo Olympic Spotlight: Sunisa Lee As the youngest member of Team USA's gymnastics team Suni Lee has been on the journey of a lifetime. Hear about her story in our latest spotlight. View More sports in this article Wrestling tags in this article 2020 Summer Olympics Athletes to Watch Fan SportsEngine