Wrestling has been a central part of Sarah Hildebrandt's life ever since she was a young girl. Now 30, she continues to build on her years of experience, finding new ways to grow and improve her skills. Over the years, Hildebrandt has bolstered her international wrestling resume, including a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But the one thing that has eluded the American 50 kg freestyle wrestler is an Olympic gold medal. Through the ups and the downs, Hildebrandt finally struck gold. Here’s how.
Tokyo Olympics
Hildebrandt was leading by a point in the semifinals of the women's 50 kg freestyle. With 15 seconds remaining, her opponent, Sun Yanan of China, won a 4-point throw at the death, dashing Hildebrandt’s dreams of gold.
The memory would haunt Hildebrandt in the years following the competition. In 2022, she struggled to accept and move past the match in Tokyo. Hildebrandt needed to take a step back if she had any chance of moving forward. “2022 was spent recovering, just getting back to a state where I wanted to be on a mat," Hildebrandt told the South Bend Tribune. She added to USA Wrestling that “I didn't meet my goal so there was a lot of healing that needed to take place, a lot of personal reflection. When I ended the Tokyo Olympics, I knew things needed to change, mentally, spiritually, even physically,”
Embracing Change
This self-reflection ignited Hildebrandt's journey to heal from the scars of Tokyo. She realized that she was sacrificing her mental health and happiness in pursuit of success, and it was negatively impacting her performance. “I'm not just this husk of a person who's so disciplined that the humanness of me has been squeezed out,” Hildebrandt said. “That's what it felt like at Tokyo. I was so disciplined that there was no personality left in me. I knew I couldn't keep wrestling like that, that's not why I wrestled.”
To progress, Hildebrandt needed to let go of this mentality. She had to listen to her body when it needed rest and to stop training at the dangerous pace that she was going. Even though the thought of change was scary, Hildebrandt decided to embrace a complete trust in herself, listen to her body, and believe that these changes would be enough to win gold.
“I made a lot of changes and I'm so glad that I did because I grew as a woman and a wrestler…and I've also won a medal.”
Building Back Mentally
Outside of her training, Hildebrandt began working on the mental side of sports to fuel her comeback. She started speaking with a sports psychologist, who became a game changer for her. “I truly believe where I’ll find the biggest edge is in my mental preparation,” Hildebrandt said. “I can ride my emotions instead of tethering them and getting whipped around.” At a level of sport where everyone trains hard, any advantage can be the difference between a win and a loss, or even a gold and a bronze medal at the Olympics.
Redemption in Paris
When Hildebrandt arrived in Paris, she had done the mental and physical work to heal from Tokyo. She was ready to take on her competition, supported by the belief and trust that she had in herself.
When she stepped onto the mat for her first match, Hildebrandt did not disappoint. She won in dominating fashion, besting Doudou Ibtissem from Algeria 10-0. Her momentum kept on rolling through her quarterfinal and semifinal bout, beating Feng Ziqi of China and Dolgorjav Otgonjargal of Mongolia. Her final challenge would be in the gold medal match, the last stop on Hildebrandt’s redemption tour.
The Gold Medal Match
For the gold, Hildebrandt faced a tough opponent in Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba. With the top prize in reach, Hildebrandt started the bout strong, her dream just six minutes away. She secured a two-point takedown with 4:50 remaining. Hildebrandt earned one more point from a penalty on Lopez, giving her a 3 to 0 lead. Hildebrandt out-maneuvered Lopez’s late counters, and when the clock expired, she was finally an Olympic champion.
With the gold medal around her neck and an American flag in her hands, Hildebrandt had finally gotten the redemption she desired from Tokyo. The fear she had in changing her training and mindset was gone, replaced by a huge smile. When asked what she was feeling, Hildebrandt was speechless. “I’ve dreamt of this moment for so long and I feel like my mind and my body are not computing everything. I am full of gratitude,” she said to FloWrestling. “I made a lot of changes and I'm so glad that I did because I grew as a woman and a wrestler…and I've also won a medal. The growth as Sarah is what I'm most grateful for.”
Many athletes can relate to dealing with a mental block after a disappointing performance. Hildebrandt is an inspiration for those athletes questioning if it’s possible to get back to the same elite level. She reminds us of the importance of taking time to heal mentally, the achievements that can be reached by embracing change, and to never give up on your dreams.
