Winning a medal at the Senior World Championships is the ultimate. Here are 10 worth revisiting. 

Joe Colon — 2018 bronze (61 kg), MFS

The 2018 World Championships offered 10 weight categories for the first time since the 1996 Olympics, providing countries with two additional roster spots, up from eight in 2017. The United States was riding high after winning the 2017 Worlds in Paris, and so was Nahshon Garrett. 

Garrett made the 61 kg World Team after dropping a 33-point shootout against Colon in the 2018 U.S. Open final. The former Big Red star was injured before the World Championships, giving Colon a crack at the Worlds. 

The former Northern Iowa star fell 9-4 in the semis to Yowlys Bonne of Cuba, but rebounded for bronze. Below are links to all four 2018 matches between Colon and Garrett. You won’t be disappointed. 

U.S. Open final — Colon over Garrett, 20-13
Final X, Match 1 — Colon over Garrett, 7-5
Final X, Match 2 — Garrett over Colon, 10-5
Final X, Match 3 — Garrett over Colon, 12-0

Garrett and Colon together at the 2018 World Championships

Becka Leathers — 2017 bronze (55 kg), WFS

Leathers reached the best-of-three 2017 World Team Trials final against future Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, and was leading 1-0 in the first match when Leathers was in a rear standing position and brought Hildebrandt to the mat for four. Hildebrandt dislocated her elbow in the exchange and couldn’t continue.

The U.S. women finished second at the Worlds behind Japan, thanks in large part to three medalists: Helen Maroulis (gold), Alli Ragan (silver), and Leathers (bronze). The team also included Victoria Anthony (5th), Haley Augello (8th), Mallory Velte (14th), Tamyra Mensah-Stock (9th), and Victoria Francis (13th).

Lindsey Durlacher — 2006 bronze  (55 kg), GR

Durlacher was a Greco-Roman mainstay, making three Senior World Teams from 2005 through 2007, including bronze in 2006. His fifth-place finish in 2007 was part of the lone Greco team title for the United States. 

The former Illinois star was part of an era where more high-level college wrestlers transitioned to Greco. Durlacher finished fourth at the 1996 NCAA Championships and second in 1997, falling to Iowa’s Jessie Whitmer in the 118-pound finals. Durlacher died on June 4, 2011. 

Tolly Thompson — 2005 bronze (120 kg), MFS

Study Tolly Thompson for a lesson in resilience. The Janesville, Iowa, native was behind Stephen Neal (1999 World champion) and Kerry McCoy (2003 World silver medalist) before making the 2005 World team at 32. He won a bronze medal, proving the United States' depth at heavyweight. 

Sandy Bacher — 1997 Silver, 1998 Bronze, 1999 Gold (68 kg), WFS

Bacher was a 1992, 1996, and 2000 judo Olympian, who transitioned to women’s freestyle wrestling. She quickly became one of the all-time greats, winning silver, bronze, and gold from 1997 through 1999. Her 1999 World gold was part of the only women’s freestyle team championships for the United States. 

Kirk Trost — 1990 bronze (100 kg), MFS

Trost made the 1990 World team between Bill Scherr (1985-89), Mark Coleman (1991-92), Mark Kerr (1993-94), and Kurt Angle (1995-96). He won a bronze medal on a team with John Smith (gold), Nate Carr (5th), Rob Koll (5th), Royce Alger (silver), Chris Campbell (silver), and Bruce Baumgartner (bronze).

The former Michigan star won the 1986 NCAA Championships during the final season of an unlimited heavyweight class.

Joe McFarland — 1986 silver (62 kg), MFS

Every wrestling fan should know that John Smith won six consecutive World/Olympic golds from 1987 through 1992 before Tom Brands took over the quad from 1993 to 1996, winning two titles. 

McFarland got the party started in 1986 by winning a silver medal at the World Championships, falling to Khasar Isaev of the Soviet Union in the finals — the same opponent Smith defeated in the finals the following year, 5-4. The United States won eight straight medals at 62 kg (1986-93).

Kevin Darkus — 1985 silver (57 kg), MFS

Darkus (Iowa State) defeated McFarland (McFarland), 9-6, in the 1984 NCAA Championship finals while Iowa’s Barry Davis was in Olympic redshirt (he won silver). Davis locked down 57 kg for the United States from 1983 through 1988, except for 1985, when he took the year off. Darkus took advantage, winning a silver medal behind the Soviet Union’s Sergei Beloglazov, an eight-time World/Olympic champion. 

Joe Corso — 1979 bronze (57 kg), MFS

Corso was born in Italy before moving to West Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of five. He won an Iowa state title for West Des Moines Valley in 1971, finished fifth twice at the NJCAA championships for NIACC (1972-73), and finished third at the 1975 NCAA Championships for Purdue. 

The Boilermaker star made the 1976 Olympic Team the following year, then won a bronze medal at the 1979 World Championships and was leading eventual gold medalist Hideaki Tomiyama of Japan before getting pinned late in the match. 

Dave Hazewinkel — 1969 bronze, 1970 silver (57 kg), GR

Most remember Dave’s son, Sam, who finished 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd (2004-07) at the NCAA Championships for Oklahoma and made a 2012 freestyle Olympic team and 2018 Greco World team. Dave and his twin brother, Jim, combined to make 13 World/Olympic Teams, with Dave winning two World medals.