Wrestlers · Senior level
Sarah Hildebrandt
2024 Olympic champion at 50 kg; 2020 Olympic bronze medalist; 4x senior world medalist; 2x WCWA champion
Granger, IN · Penn HS · King University
By Joe Spisak, Pennsylvania state champion and 4x NCAA qualifier at Virginia · Published September 10, 2026
Sarah Hildebrandt of Granger, Indiana, wrestled on the boys' team at Penn High School in Mishawaka. She became the first girl to qualify for the IHSAA semi-state and helped Penn win the IHSAA team championship. She won the 2011 Junior Nationals.
At King University she was a four-time WCWA national finalist at 123 pounds. She placed second in 2012 and 2013, won the 2014 title at 16-0, and repeated in 2015 at 18-0, beating King teammate Hanna Grisewood 8-0 in the final.
Her senior career began at 55 kg, with Pan American gold in 2013 and 2015 and 10th at the 2016 World Championships. At 53 kg she won silver at the 2018 World Championships and gold at the 2019 Pan American Games. At the 2019 World Championships she lost 12-1 to Mayu Mukaida of Japan and 8-2 to Vinesh Phogat of India and finished ninth.
At 50 kg in Tokyo she lost the semifinal 10-7 to Sun Yanan of China, then beat Oksana Livach of Ukraine by technical fall for bronze. She added world silver in 2021 and bronze in 2022 and 2023. At the 2024 Paris Olympics she beat Ibtissem Doudou of Algeria 10-0, Feng Ziqi of China 7-4, and Otgonjargal Dolgorjav of Mongolia 5-0. On August 7 she beat Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba 3-0 in the final for gold.
On February 14, 2025, she retired, and USA Wrestling named her assistant national women's coach. She wrestled again while still coaching, beating Zeltzin Hernandez of Mexico 11-0 at 120 pounds on August 30, 2025, at the first Real American Freestyle card in Cleveland. She left coaching after the September 2025 World Championships and began training full time in 2026. Her first senior tournament since Paris was the 2026 U.S. Open in Las Vegas at 53 kg, where she reached the final and lost by injury default to Cristelle Rodriguez. She is targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Hildebrandt is training at 53 kg for the New York Athletic Club after retiring in 2025, coaching the U.S. women's national team, and returning to the mat at the first Real American Freestyle card in Cleveland. She is coming back from the injury she suffered in the 2026 U.S. Open final, with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as her goal.
Results
| Season | Level | Event | Weight | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | College | WCWA National Championships | 123 lb | 2nd | King University |
| 2013 | College | WCWA National Championships | 123 lb | 2nd | King University |
| 2014 | College | WCWA National Championships | 123 lb | 1st | 16-0. King won WCWA team title and NWCA National Duals |
| 2015 | College | WCWA National Championships | 123 lb | 1st | 18-0. def. Hanna Grisewood (King) 8-0 in final |
| 2016 | Senior | World Championships | 55 kg | 10th | |
| 2018 | Senior | World Championships, Budapest | 53 kg | 2nd | |
| 2019 | Senior | Pan American Games, Lima | 53 kg | 1st | |
| 2019 | Senior | World Championships, Nur-Sultan | 53 kg | 9th | 1-2. def. Bui Thi Dao; lost to Mayu Mukaida (JPN) 12-1; lost to Vinesh Phogat (IND) 8-2 in repechage |
| 2021 | Senior | Olympic Games, Tokyo | 50 kg | 3rd | lost semifinal to Sun Yanan (CHN) 10-7; def. Oksana Livach (UKR) by technical fall in bronze-medal match |
| 2021 | Senior | World Championships, Oslo | 50 kg | 2nd | |
| 2022 | Senior | World Championships, Belgrade | 50 kg | 3rd | |
| 2023 | Senior | World Championships, Belgrade | 50 kg | 3rd | |
| 2024 | Senior | Olympic Games, Paris | 50 kg | 1st | 4-0. def. Ibtissem Doudou 10-0, Feng Ziqi 7-4, Otgonjargal Dolgorjav 5-0, Yusneylis Guzman Lopez (CUB) 3-0 in final, Aug 7 2024 |
| 2025 | Senior | Real American Freestyle RAF01, Cleveland | 120 lb | win | tech fall 11-0 over Zeltzin Hernandez (MEX), Aug 30 2025; first bout after the Paris Olympics |
| 2026 | Senior | U.S. Open, Las Vegas | 53 kg | 2nd | injury default at 3:52 vs Cristelle Rodriguez in final, Apr 24 2026 |
What we could not confirm
Anything not on this page, a high school record, a final score, a season, was left out because no primary source stated it when this was written. If you have a bracket, a program, or a clipping, send it and the page gets the number.
Sources
- https://www.themat.com/profiles/sarah-hildebrandt · Hometown Granger, Ind.; Penn High School (Mishawaka); King University; born Sept. 23, 1993; New York Athletic Club; coach Brad Harper; 2011 Junior Nationals champion; WCWA 2nd 2012 and 2013, 1st 2014 and 2015 at 123; Worlds 2016 10th (55), 2018 2nd (53), 2019 9th (53), 2021 2nd, 2022 3rd, 2023 3rd (50); Olympics 2020 bronze, 2024 gold (50)
- https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/sarah-hildebrandt · Hometown Granger, IN; King University; Paris 2024 gold and Tokyo 2020 bronze at 50 kg; world medals 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
- https://penn.phmschools.org/2024/08/28/sarah-hildebrandt-parade/ · Penn HS grad 2011; first female to qualify for IHSAA semi-state; part of IHSAA team championship
- https://kingtornado.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/sarah-hildebrandt/4155 · King roster: Granger, Penn HS; 2014 WCWA champion at 123, 16-0; 2015 WCWA champion at 123, 18-0, def. Hanna Grisewood 8-0; King WCWA and NWCA National Duals titles both years
- http://www.ncaa.org/olympics-more-than-amedal-olympic-gold-secures-sarah-hildebrandts-legacy-as-womens-wrestling-trailblazer/ · Wrestled on Penn boys team; arrived at King 2011; junior year 16-0, senior year 18-0; Tokyo semifinal loss to Sun Yanan; Paris final 3-0 over Guzman Lopez
- https://www.themat.com/news/2025/february/14/usa-wrestling-names-olympic-champion-sarah-hildebrandt-as-assistant-national-women-s-coach · Feb 14 2025 retirement and appointment as Assistant National Women's Coach; 2010 Junior Nationals 2nd, 2011 Junior Nationals 1st; 2019 Pan Am Games gold; seven Pan Am Championships golds (2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)
- https://uww.org/athletes/hildebrandt-sarah-ann · UWW results: 2015 Pan Am Champs 1st (55); 2018 Worlds 2nd (53); 2019 Pan Am Games 1st (53); 2021 Olympics 3rd, 2021 Worlds 2nd, 2022 Worlds 3rd, 2024 Olympics 1st (50)
- https://www.themat.com/news/2024/august/07/hildebrandt-wins-gold-medal-at-olympics-her-second-olympic-medal-parrish-pulled-back-into-repechage · Paris 2024 path: Doudou 10-0, Feng 7-4, Dolgorjav 5-0, Guzman Lopez 3-0 in final, Aug 7 2024
- https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6567565-2019-womens-world-championship-recap · 2019 Worlds 53 kg: def. Bui 11-0, lost to Mukaida 12-1, lost to Phogat 8-2 in repechage
- https://www.themat.com/news/2024/april/09/olympic-trials-preview-hildebrandt-holds-strong-position-for-repeat-olympic-bid-at-50-kg · 2023 Final X def. Audrey Jimenez 8-0, 11-0; represents USOPTC/New York AC; from Granger, Indiana
- https://www.themat.com/news/2026/april/16/olympic-champion-hildebrandt-returns-over-255-senior-women-s-freestyle-entries-at-2026-u-s-open-championships · 2026 U.S. Open entry at 53 kg, Las Vegas, Apr 23-24 2026; first senior tournament since Paris
- https://www.themat.com/news/2026/april/24/katie-gomez-named-outstanding-wrestler-as-senior-women-s-freestyle-crowns-10-u-s-open-champions · 2026 U.S. Open 53 kg final: injury default at 3:52 vs Cristelle Rodriguez, Apr 24 2026, Las Vegas
- https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/sarah-hildebrandt-wrestling · Retired after Paris, became national team assistant coach; comeback training from start of 2026; 53 kg at 2026 U.S. Open; torn adductor, groin, abdominal muscles in final; LA 2028 is the stated goal (article dated May 4, 2026)
- https://uww.org/article/paris-olympic-champ-hildebrandt-announces-retirement · UWW retirement note, Feb 17 2025: world silver 2018 and 2021, bronze 2022 and 2023; moved to 50 kg in 2019
- https://www.themat.com/news/2025/august/30/2025-world-team-members-woods-hendrickson-olympic-champion-hildebrandt-shine-in-raf-01-in-cleveland · RAF01, Aug 30 2025, Cleveland: Hildebrandt tech fall 11-0 over Zeltzin Hernandez at Strawweight (120 lbs), her first competition since Paris gold, while serving as USA Wrestling assistant women's national coach
- https://www.realamericanfreestyle.com/athletes/zeltzin-hernandez-guerra · Zeltzin Hernandez Guerra represents Mexico (RAF athlete page)
- https://www.themat.com/news/features/2021/august/07/hildebrandt-wins-olympic-bronze-medal · Tokyo 2020 bronze: def. Oksana Livach (Ukraine) by technical fall; semifinal loss to Sun Yanan (China) 10-7; earlier tech falls over Evin Demirhan (Turkey) 11-0 and Miglena Selishka (Bulgaria) 12-2
- https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/sarah-hildebrandt-wrestling · Competed in Real American Freestyle in August 2025; coached at the September 2025 World Championships, then stepped away from coaching; began full-time training at the start of 2026 for the April 23-24 U.S. Open
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