The team race is final between Japan and the USA in Women’s Freestyle at the 2021 World Championships in Oslo, Norway. Take a look below to see the final standings and a summary of the action that occurred leading up to this point.

Japan Wins Title With 9 Medals

Japan continued to show their dominance in women's wrestling by winning 9 total medals - 4 golds, 3 silvers, and bronze. That dominant performance won team Japan the team title for the eighth year in a row and 9 of the last 10 years. Take a look below to see the finals standings.

USA Ties Most Medal Record

While USA was unable to unseat Japan at this year's worlds, they still had an impressive showing with 7 total medals. That count tied the 2003 team for the most medals ever won at a world championships. Helen Maroulis started off the final medal rounds for Team USA with a pin in the finals to win her third world gold. Though Tamyra Mensah-Stock fell in her semi-final match, she bounced back in a 10-1 win for bronze. Take a look below to see how each member of the team finished:

50kg: Sarah Hildebrandt - Silver

53kg: Amy Fearnside - DNP

55kg: Jenna Burkert - Bronze

57kg: Helen Maroulis - Gold

59kg: Maya Nelson - 5th

62kg: Kayla Miracle - Silver

65kg: Forrest Molinari - Bronze

68kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock - Bronze

72kg: Kylie Welker - 10th

76kg: Adeline Gray - Gold

Though the action is complete for the women at the world championships, you can go back and view complete results and video to all matches on FloArena.

Read old team race updates below.

Day 2 Update

Japan Takes 3 Of 4 Head To Heads Against USA

With only 2 weights’ medal matches left to wrestle, Japan is firmly set in first place with Team USA in second. In today’s semi-final round, Japan and USA squared off head to head at three different weights - 57kg, 59kg, and 68kg. Helen Maroulis got the USA off to a great start with a 6-5 win over Sae Nanjo. However, Japan stormed back when Akie Hanai defeated Maya Nelson in a close, 4-1 match. Then, Rin Miyaji secured the biggest upset in the tournament when she pinned defending world and Olympic champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock in just 21 seconds. On top of those three wins, Japan’s 72kg wrestler Masako Furuichi won in the semis and will wrestle for gold tomorrow. Japan continued to find success in the only head-to-head medal match when Remina Yoshimoto edged Sarah Hildebrandt in one of the best matches of the tournament, 5-3. Take a look at the current top 10 countries in the standings in women’s freestyle at the world championships:

Can Team USA Make History?

Along with Kayla Miracle’s silver and Jenna Burkert’s bronze on the first day of medal matches, Forrest Molinari won her first world medal with a tech-fall victory in the bronze medal match - 12-1. Then, Adeline Gray ended the night on a “high note” by claiming her record-breaking 6th world title in a come from behind win - pinning Epp Maee (EST) with less than 2 seconds left in the match. At this point, the women’s team has secured 6 total medals and have a chance for two more tomorrow with Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Maya Nelson going for bronze. Should they both win, the 8 medals would be the most world medals ever won by a United States women’s team in history (breaking the previous record of 7 in 2003).

While the team title might be out of reach, be sure to tune in tomorrow to watch history unfold. There’s still a lot of wrestling yet to take place to determine the team champion but we’ll update you every step of the way. For full match results and updated brackets, check out FloArena here.

Day 1 Team Race Update

Japan Leads, USA Chasing Close Behind

Less than halfway through the tournament, Japan has built a 15 point lead over the United States in the women’s team race. They got to the top of the standings by winning a gold and a bronze medal in the first 2 weights and having three more women waiting to wrestle in the finals tomorrow (Wednesday, October 6). Team USA matched their medal count with silver from Kayla Miracle (62kg) and bronze from Jenna Burkert (55kg) but only have two finalists tomorrow - Sarah Hildebrandt and Adeline Gray. Forrest Molinari will also wrestle for a bronze medal at 65kg after she lost to Miwa Morikawa (JPN) in the semi-finals. Check out the current top 10 below:

USA Can Make Up Ground

With four weights worth of medal matches still to wrestle and four weights starting fresh tomorrow, the team race is far from over. In fact, 2 of USA’s most experienced wrestlers will take the mat tomorrow and are strong favorites to win gold - Helen Maroulis (57kg) and Tamyra Mensah-Stock (68kg). Also, two of USA’s best young stars will make their senior worlds debut - Maya Nelson (59kg) and Kylie Welker (72kg). 

Along with that talent, 3 of the 4 wrestling tomorrow are on the same side of the bracket as a Japanese wrestler (only Kyle Welker is not). On top of that, Sarah Hildebrant is facing Japan’s Remina Yoshimoto for gold. There are up to 4 potential head-to-head matches between Japan and USA tomorrow and the result of those matches will play a huge role in who ultimately wins the team race in Oslo.

There’s still a lot of wrestling yet to take place to determine the team champion but we’ll update you every step of the way. For full match results and updated brackets, check out FloArena here.