#UWWAwards2022

Ozaki earns Women’s Wrestler of the Year honors

Wednesday, December 28, 2022 - 15:51 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 28) -- United World Wrestling has announced Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) as the Women’s Wrestler of the Year. 

At the mere age of 19 years, Ozaki joined a rare list of wrestlers with all four world titles.

This year was undoubtedly Ozaki’s year as she won U20, U23 and senior world golds this season.

Ozaki won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships but stormed back with a gold-medal-winning performance in 2022 in Belgrade. On her way to the gold, she defeated defending world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA).

Domestically, Ozaki needed to defeat Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI (JPN) to make the world team. She did that in May 2022 and then remained undefeated on the season until suffering a season-ending loss by Sakura MOTOKI in the final at the All-Japan Championships on December 25.

In April, she won her first Asian Championships title by beating Tynybekova, added the U20 world title in August, and completed the set by winning the U23 world gold in October. She won the U17 world title in 2019 in Sofia.

The year-ending rankings were also a reflection of her dominance as she finished on the top at 62kg with 55000 ranking points, out-placing other veterans of the sport.

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Paris Olympic champ Hildebrandt announces retirement

Monday, February 17, 2025 - 06:26 By Vinay Siwach

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COLRADO, United States (February 17) -- Olympic champion Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) has announced her retirement from wrestling.

The 31-year-old won gold in Women's Wrestling 50kg at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is also a bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics. At the World Championships, Hildebrandt won two silver (2018, 2021) and two bronze medals (2022, 2023).

Her decision was accompanied with an announcement from USA Wrestling that Hildebrandt will be joining as the assistant coach for Women's Wrestling with senior women's team.

“I have had a really long career and I’ve gotten the experience of what wrestling has taught me," Hildebrandt said. "It has made me so passionate about what this sport can do for people. If I can bring a passion and energy in support of their journey, kind of a door handle to open up their own adventure, that is exciting to me. Wrestling has given me so much. The sport has taught me everything about myself and helped me grow as a woman."

Hildebrandt made her debut at the U20 World Championships in 2010 at 55kg and remained a 53-55kg wrestler for long. At the 2019 World Championships, Hildebrandt failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics at 53kg and made the move to 50kg and qualified.

She went on to have one of most successful careers at 50kg, becoming the fourth Olympic champion for the United States in Women's Wrestling. She is only the second wrestler to win multiple medals at the Olympics for the U.S. after Helen MAROULIS (USA), who has three.

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