If you had any question about whether “the youth movement” so many have spoken about in USA women’s wrestling is real, look at what just happened at the Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia. Previously, the U.S. had never had more than one World champion at the event, but this year the American women’s team brought home four gold medals as Emily Shilson (50 kg), Amit Elor (68 kg), Kennedy Blades (72 kg), and Kylie Welker (76 kg) each won titles. Team USA also gained one other medal as Korina Blades (62 kg) captured the bronze, handing U.S. women the team title for the first time at Junior Worlds. Within the last 10 years, the previous high-water mark for medals by U.S. women at Junior Worlds was three. The last Team USA member to win a Junior World title was Maya Nelson in 2017. The previous Junior World champion for the U.S. before that was Victoria Anthony, who won it in 2010.

The USA women locked up the team title this year with 143 points to finish ahead of India and Russia, which tied for second with 134 points.
We have never seen anything like this. For Elor, Blades, and Welker, it’s not only winning World titles, it’s how they’re winning World titles. None of them gave up a point. Elor, in winning her Cadet and Junior World titles this year, outscored her opponents 63-0 with a whopping six tech falls. Blades won her Junior title with three tech falls and a pin in the finals, and Welker did the same thing, outscoring her opponents 37-0 with three tech falls and a pin.

“I feel so happy,” Elor said after the finals. “I still can’t believe it. Just so much adrenaline right after the match. I’m just grateful to be able to compete at two World championships in the same summer. It’s incredible.”
Elor won her final at 68 kg over 2021 Junior European bronze medalist Elizaveta Petliakova from Russia by 10-0 tech fall, starting the match with a takedown and three laces to go up 8-0 early before she finished it off at the 1:51 mark. Welker made it look easy at 76 kg, getting a four-point feet-to-back to start the match from an elevated single-leg position, then ending the match with a takedown and two laces at 1:24 over India’s Bipasha Bipasha.

It took Kennedy Blades only 17 seconds to secure the fall in the finals over Germany’s Lilly Schneider in the 72 kg final. After the whistle, in typical Blade’s fashion, she attacked immediately, hitting a double-leg and lifting her opponent into the air. Transitioning to a half-nelson by the time they hit the mat, Blades put Schneider flat on her back and waited for the fall call. Realizing she won, she put her hands to her face, tearing up with emotion. It’s Blades first World title, having fallen short at Cadet Worlds in 2019. She will compete for the Senior World Team spot at 72 kg next month.

Meanwhile, Shilson continues to show her grit and experience at the international level, giving us every reason to believe she’s not only a staple for U.S. World teams in the years to come, but a medal threat. The 2018 Cadet World champion has learned how to win matches. Her quarterfinal against Russia’s Viktoriia Aleksandrova is an example. Down early 4-0 at the break to the 2018 Cadet Worlds bronze medalist, she poured it on in the second period with a relentless pace that cracked her opponent’s defense, putting points up until she put in the dagger with 40 seconds left on a sequence that put her ahead 10-7. She dominated her semi and final, winning the gold match over two-time Cadet Asian bronze medalist Enkhzul Batbaatar of Mongolia with a first-period early termination at 2:49. Moments later, she was hoisting the flag on her shoulders and circling the mat.

At 53 kg, Jaslynn Gallegos, who gained the opportunity to compete when Tiare Ikei had to pull out due to injury, made the bronze medal match but lost to Russia’s Choigana Tumat by fall in the second period. It was 4-4 at the break.

At 62 kg, Korina Blades had the comeback of the tournament for Team USA. In her quarterfinal match against Turkey’s Yagmur Cakmak, Blades fell way behind, down 10-1 deep in the match. With about a minute left, Blades hit a far-leg pick and put her opponent right on her back for the pin and dramatic win. After falling to 2021 Junior European champion (and eventual world champion) Russia’s Alina Kasabieva in the semis, Blades had a convincing win in her bronze match, scoring an 11-1 tech fall over Norway’s Viktoria Oeverby.

At 65 kg, after falling in the first round to Moldova Senior European champ Irina Ringaci, Alara Boyd was brought back into repechage when Ringaci made the finals. Boyd advanced to the bronze match with a 12-1 win over Belarus’ Yana Tretsiak but fell in the bronze match to Estonia’s Viktoria Vesso. Boyd had the 5-4 lead at the break, but got caught in a headlock and pinned early in the second period.

Payton Stroud went 1-2 at 55 kg and placed eighth in the event, while both Claire DiCugno (57 kg) and Mia Macaluso (59 kg) lost their first-round matches and were not pulled back into the tournament.

2021 U.S. Women’s Junior World Team 

50 kg — Emily Shilson — Gold 

53 kg — Jaslynn Gallegos — Fifth place 

55 kg — Payton Stroud — Eighth place

57 kg — Claire DiCugno — DNP

59 kg — Mia Macaluso — 10th place 

62 kg — Korina Blades — Bronze 

65 kg — Alara Boyd — Fifth place 

68 kg — Amit Elor — Gold 

72 kg — Kennedy Blades — Gold 

76 kg — Kylie Welker — Gold