The United States has long been one of the world's top wrestling nations. The American freestyle team won the world team title at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France, finishing with six medals, including two world champions. The United States women's wrestling team has earned a team trophy every year of this Olympic cycle, placing second in 2017, and third in both 2018 and 2019. Last year, the United States women wrestling team crowned three world champions for the first time ever.
Let's look at the top five active American wrestlers.
5. Tamyra MENSAH
Twenty-seven-year-old Tamyra MENSAH was the 2019 United World Wrestling Women's Wrestler of the Year. She finished 2019 with an undefeated record capped off by winning the 68kg world title over Olympic medalist Jenny FRANSSON (SWE). Earlier in the tournament she dominated 2016 Olympic champion Sara DOSHO (JPN), 10-1. She was a bronze medalist in 2018 and became the first U.S. wrestler to win the Ivan Yarygin three straight years. Mensah is currently ranked No.1 at 68kg in the world and has locked up the top seed for the Tokyo Olympics.
4. J'den COX
J'den COX has established himself as one of the world's top upper-weight freestyle wrestlers since entering the world stage in 2016. He earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Since then, Cox has gone 12-1 at world championships, winning a bronze medal in 2017 at 86kg before winning world titles in both 2018 and 2019 at 92kg. He was undefeated in 2019 and outscored his opponents 26-0 at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
3. Adeline GRAY
In 2019, Adeline GRAY captured her fifth world title, becoming America's first-ever five-time world champion. Gray has won gold medals at the world championships each of the last four times she has competed in the event. Her last defeat at a world championship came in 2013, when she earned a bronze medal to go along with a world bronze she won in 2011. Gray is currently ranked No.1 in the world at 76kg.
2. Kyle SNYDER
Kyle SNYDER, nicknamed "Captain America," became the United States' youngest wrestling world champion with his world title in 2015. The next year, Snyder won gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, becoming American's youngest Olympic wrestling champion. In 2017, Snyder won his world title by defeating Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) in a battle of 2016 Olympic champions. The next year, Snyder and Sadulaev met again for the world title in Budapest, Hungary, with Sadulaev coming out on top, leaving Snyder with the silver medal. In 2019, Snyder claimed his fourth world medal, winning bronze in Nur-Sultan. He is currently ranked No.2 in the world at 97kg with 57 Ranking Series points.
1. Jordan BURROUGHS
Jordan BURROUGHS has been a model of consistency and excellence at 74kg since breaking onto the world scene in 2011. He captured his first world title in 2011 and then became an Olympic champion the next year at the 2012 London Olympics. Burroughs has since added world titles in 2013, 2015 and 2017, along with world bronze medals in 2014, 2018 and 2019. He has compiled a 33-3 career record in world championship events. Burroughs is ranked No.4 in the world at 74kg with 43 Ranking Series points.
