Robby Smith, Helen Maroulis and Kyle Snyder (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The first year of a new Olympic cycle typically brings its share of changes and new storylines.
And this year was no exception.
The 2017 World Championships, held Aug. 21-26 at AccorHotels Arena, was another compelling tournament with plenty of interesting events unfolding.
The six-day competition saw the U.S. men's freestyle team earn a dramatic one-point win over Russia for its first team title in 22 years. Jordan Burroughs won his fourth world title and Kyle Snyder his second.
The American women finished second in the team race with Helen Maroulis winning a world title and Alli Ragan reaching the finals for the second straight year.
Here is the breakdown of American performances by style from Paris:
Greco-Roman
The U.S. was nowhere to be found in the quarterfinal round.
No American wrestler made it past the second round and none won more than one match as the U.S. Greco-Roman struggles continued in big events. The U.S. finished in a team for 30th place in the team standings with one point.
The U.S. finished 5-9 overall in the two days of Greco competition in France. The U.S. has won only four total medals at the World and Olympic level in Greco since it won the World team title in 2007.
The U.S. started strong before finishing 3-5 overall on the opening day in Paris. First-time World team members Pat Smith, Mason Manville and Tracy Hancock each won one match for the American squad. Two-time Olympian Ben Provisor, competing at his first Worlds, went 0-1.
On Day 2 in Paris, Olympians Robby Smith and Ellis Coleman went 1-1. Veterans Ildar Hafizov and Cheney Haight lost in the first round.
The U.S. struggled being able to score offensive points against its defensive-minded opponents, particularly late in close matches. Rules changes, where there is no forced par terre, seemed to work against the Americans as well in bouts that were low scoring.
The good news for the U.S. is Manville and Hancock are just 20 years old, and Junior World champion Kamal Bey is only 19. There are some talented young wrestlers in the American program who could be making a big impact soon on the Senior level.
Grade: D
Women's wrestling
Reigning Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis turned in one of the most dominant performances ever by an American in crushing the competition in Paris.
Maroulis won all five bouts by technical fall as she won her matches by a combined 53-0 score. Her weight class wasn't overly strong or loaded, but it was still remarkable what she did after moving up two weight classes. Maroulis also took seventh months off after Rio.
Maroulis has now been the best in the world for the last three years in three different weight classes. She is definitely in the conversation when you talk about who is the best women's wrestler in U.S. history.
Alli Ragan turned in a superb showing by finishing second in the world for the second straight year. Newcomer Becka Leathers, who is just 20 years old, also looked impressive in collecting a bronze. Veteran Victoria Anthony took fifth for the second time in her career, but still is undersized for her weight class.
Even with three-time world champion Adeline Gray out with an injury, the American women turned in a very respectable performance at the 2017 Worlds. The U.S. finished in a tie for second place in the team standings.
Japan is still head and shoulders above the rest of the planet in women's freestyle and rolled to the team title in Paris with a very young group of talented athletes.
Grade: B+
Freestyle
In what will go down as one of the biggest wins in American freestyle wrestling history, Kyle Snyder won a clash of titans by scoring a takedown in the final seconds to rally past Russian Abdulrashid Sadulaev in an epic finals bout at 213 pounds.
The U.S. and Russia were tied in the team standings entering the final match of the tournament between Snyder, a 2016 Olympic champion and 2015 world champion, and Sadulaev, an Olympic and two-time world champion.
Snyder spun behind Sadulaev to earn a dramatic one-point win, giving the American team a dramatic one-point win in the team standings. It was the first U.S. men's freestyle title in 22 years.
American Jordan Burroughs also beat a Russian, past world champion Khetik Tsabolov, in the finals. Burroughs scored two takedowns in the final minute to prevail. Burroughs now owns a combined five World and Olympic titles.
The U.S. also had silver medalists in Thomas Gilman and James Green along with bronze medals from J'den Cox and Nick Gwiazdowski.
It was a tremendous showing by the American squad, and a perfect way to cap an entering competition in Paris.
The American team, for the most part, is still very young. Snyder and Zain Retherford are still in college while Gilman and Gwiazdowski haven't been wrestling full-time in freestyle for very long. The future looks very bright for this Olympic cycle.
The U.S. certainly delivered with a masterful showing at the 2017 World Championships.
Grade: A+
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