When U.S. wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock won gold in the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle final, she became the second woman—and the first Black woman—to win an Olympic wrestling gold for the United States. To her, her win is yet another glowing triumph for representation.
“These young women are going to see themselves in a number of ways and they’re going to look up there and go, I can do that,” Mensah-Stock told AP News of her historic victory. “I can see myself.” Mensah-Stock defeated second-seed Blessing Oborududu 4-1 after garnering points with two takedowns in the first period of the match. Neither athlete was able to score a point in the second period.
With a silver medal, Oborududu also clinched an unprecedented win and became the first Nigerian athlete to win an Olympic medal in wrestling. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, look at us representing,’” Mensah-Stock said of the athletes’ history-making medals. “It’s so freaking awesome. You’re making history, I’m making history. We’re making history. So it meant a lot.”
Mensah-Stock, the No. 1 seed, defeated a bevy of heavy hitters. She first defeated Japan’s Sara Dosho—a 2016 Olympic gold medalist—10-0 in the first round. She went on to beat China’s Feng Zhao 10-0 in the quarterfinals and then beat Ukraine’s Alla Cherkasova—a former world champion—10-4 in the semifinal before she finally faced off with Oborududu in the final round.
“Well, you’ve got to beat the best to know that you’re the best,” Mensah-Stock continued. “And that’s what I keep telling myself. It doesn’t matter the draw. You go out there and you beat whoever is in front of you because that’s how you tell somebody that you were the best. I’m the bad draw.”
Although the Tokyo Olympics languished in pandemic-postponement in 2020, its anticipated return has delivered a host of historic wins. U.S. gymnast Sunisa Lee arrived to Tokyo as the first Hmong-American to secure a spot with Team USA. The 18-year-old later won gold in the gymnastics’ individual all-around competition as the first Hmong-American to ever clinch such victory.
