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 Dreaming Beyond Assumptions: Simone Manuel Shares Her LA28 ‘A’ Logo Simone shares how she hopes her LA28 'A' log inspires people to pursue their passion. Athletes to Watch: Sandi Morris Learn more about pole vaulter Sandi Morris. Athletes to Watch: Caeleb Dressel Father-Daughter Duo Recreate Past Olympic Moments Dive into these fun recreations of past Olympic Games with Jordan Matter and his daughter! Origin Stories: Ryan Murphy Ryan Murphy relives the 2016 Rio Olympics, and looks forward to Tokyo. Olympians Share Their Favorite Athlete As a Child Who were the ones that inspired today's Olympic athletes? View More sports in this article Wrestling tags in this article 2020 Summer Olympics Athletes to Watch Fan SportsEngine