Olympic champion Sarah Hildebrandt exclusive on rediscovering her essence in wrestling and life, and the nap that led to Paris 2024 gold
The devastation of a major loss can end an athlete’s career, but for USA freestyle wrestling star Sarah Hildebrandt, it was exactly what she needed to fulfil her dreams at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
At Tokyo 2020 in 2021, the highly-rated grappler was seemingly coasting to a semi-final victory with a 7-0 lead. But a strategy error saw that lead disappear before her opponent executed a throw with five seconds remaining to eliminate Hildebrandt.
That moment, although heartbreaking, proved to be the catalyst for change that she needed.
The Indiana native reinvented herself as an athlete and, three years later, stood atop the women’s 50kg podium at Paris 2024 with an Olympic gold medal around her neck.
“When I stepped on the [Paris 2024] podium, that is exactly what was going through my head. It was just all the times that I kind of just came up short at Worlds or the Olympics, and then the times I was standing on that podium and I was just hurting so badly,” she told Olympics.com.
“After Tokyo it was actually really scary. I didn't know if I was going to be able to face that fear. I was afraid to be that vulnerable again. I really had to dig deep and find some courage to make some changes.
“But to actually make those changes and see the growth that I needed and step up on the podium at the top level means just everything to me.”
Elite athletes, particularly wrestlers, are often portrayed as god-like, and impervious to pain or weakness.
Hildebrandt also cultivated her image this way but realised after the Tokyo 2020 loss that she needed to show more of her authentic self.
She wanted to embrace all sides of her personality and express a truer sense of herself on the mat.
“I felt like I was very machine-like in Tokyo. There wasn't a lot of Sarah essence in my wrestling, in my life. And I knew that if I was going to go try for Paris, that I was going to do it my way, and it was going to be Sarah. And that's what I spent the last three years doing. And I think that's truly the reason, including everyone around me who's helped me become the best version of myself, why I was able to find success,” she continued.
“I had to turn inward as a lot of reflection. Learning to trust myself and believing in that. You get so much from external factors, but believing what my mind and heart are telling me, and just letting myself feel everything and trusting that. And that's okay. It's okay around to numb myself to everything. And I'll have to be this stoic, tough person. I can enjoy things or I can cry. I can enjoy the spectrum of every experience.
“I think that allowed me to find an authentic version of myself. And then once I found that I could just start trusting her.”
Dealing with 'chaos' before Paris 2024 final
Hildebrandt’s more flexible approach to life was tested to its fullest extent in Paris, where several curve balls were headed her way.
For starters, she was competing in the same category as Japan’s reigning Olympic champion Yui Susaki, who was yet to be defeated in an international bout.
Competing at the other side of the bracket, Hildebrandt delivered three dominant victories to book her place in the gold medal match.
Shockingly, Yui was beaten by India's in-form Vinesh Phogat in the round of 16, but the surprises didn’t end there. Phogat went on to win her next three matches to secure a place in the final but was then disqualified for failing to make weight for the second day of competition. About an hour following news of Phogat’s disqualification, Hildebrandt and her team were informed it would not be a forfeit.
This meant Phogat’s semi-final opponent, Yusneylis Guzman, would take her place in the final.
**“**It was crazy. Oh my goodness. It was so many ups and downs and just absolute chaos. You're already running on fumes from the day before and emotions are high already,” Hildebrandt explained of the confusion.
“We got so much conflicting news with different stories coming out within an hour time span. I think me and my team did a good job of refocusing, trying to keep things playful and fun. But looking back, you could tell we were stressed as we were getting snippy.”
Sarah Hildebrandt of Team USA (blue) and Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba (red) compete during the Wrestling Women's Freestyle 50kg Gold Medal match at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
In the end, a good old-fashioned technique did the trick, putting Hidlebrandt in the right frame of mind to compete for Olympic gold.
“I took a nap, woke up, and it was like a new day, and just got right back to it. Once we knew who we were wrestling and everything was on, I kind of just blacked out. Everything that just happened wasn't even reality anymore. Now all that was reality was the person who was gonna step up in front of me, that evening. And so we just got right back to the game plan.”
Sarah Hildebrandt's new mindset on the mat: 'All thoughts are welcome’
Given the circumstances, the 30-year-old could have been forgiven for struggling to find her best form.
But, staying true to her new approach to wrestling, Hildebrandt embraced her feelings when stepping onto the mat in the final.
“I was definitely nerves and pressure. And that's something I've been working on, is just like not judging any of the thoughts that come to my mind, because there's going to be so many things that pop into your head about winning and losing. I told myself that whatever that comes up, just to say ‘Hi, yes, come join me. We're going to go step on the mat now and let's just go be in this moment. All thoughts are welcome’, instead of being scared of those thoughts.”
But the U.S. wrestler then came out firing, just as she had all tournament, to shut out the Cuban 3-0 and become just the second female U.S. wrestler to win two Olympic medals.
For any U.S. athlete, a looming home Olympics at LA 2028 is a particularly enticing thought.
But, adopting her new approach to wrestling and life, Hildebrandt isn’t thinking too much about the future.
Instead, she wants to enjoy the moment of being an Olympic champion.
**“**I don't want to put like a fine stop to my career. I just want to see what each day brings, and I love being in the present moment,” she said.
“But I will say I'm super excited to figure out who Sarah is outside of the wrestling world. And I've been so lucky to get to grow up in this and, and be in this environment for so long. And it's truly created the woman that I am. But I want to be challenged and figure out a whole new realm of worlds out there. And I know there's so much exploring to do, and I want to get to know that Sarah as well.
“I'm going to go everywhere artistic and out in the nature. My brother, who's my drill partner, is a park ranger, but he's taken a pause for the last eight months to help me train for the Olympics. So I'm like, okay, I should spend the next eight months being a park ranger now. So maybe we'll go take on the great outdoors.”