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Sarah Hildebrandt retires after winning Olympic Gold in Paris to become a deputy coach of the national wrestling team in the United States.

“Much of this (the decision) was, obviously, I had a very long career, and I was able to discover what the struggle gave and taught me,” Hildebrandt said. “It really made me so passionate about what this sport can do for people. … If I can just bring a passion and support energy to help someone in their trip, a bit like a handful of Door to open their own adventure, it’s exciting for me.

In Paris, Hildebrandt became the fourth American woman to win Olympic wrestling gold, one day after her teammate Amit Elor became the third.

Hildebrandt thought of retiring after Paris before and after the matches. But she also thought that way in Tokyo Games.

After her Olympic gold, she wrote each time she had the feeling of wanting to go back to competition and each time she had the feeling of not wanting to come back.

“I really felt nervous and, I don’t know, right next to myself,” she said. “I felt this call to want to do something not only for me.

“I’m sure there will be times when I am, oh, I’m ready to put my singlet, but I will have these feelings the rest of my life.”

Helen Maroulis (Rio 2016) and Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Tokyo 2020) previously won Olympic titles.

Hildebrandt, 31, also won the Olympic bronze in Tokyo, plus four silver or bronze medals of the world championships.

“It’s not just what she did; This is how she did it, “said the coach of the national team Terry Steiner in a press release.” She went through everything. He was a child who could not have the national team and fought. She was part of the world team and fought. She injured herself. It was then that she did things, took a break and changed. Due to his experiences, there is not a person in our national team and around our program that does not respect them. Respect does not only concern its accomplishment in Paris; This is how she reinvented herself to become a great champion and a great human being. She will become an excellent coach. “”

The NCAA adds the female struggle as a championship sport

The female struggle, which made its debut at the Olympic Games in 2004, will be the 91st Championship Sport.

One afternoon when Keely Hodgkinson had planned to claim a world record, the Queen of Athletics of Great Britain may have discovered something more precious.

The sorrow of his shock injury this week, knowing a daring race to eliminate the longtime brand of Jolanda Ceplak by 1m 55.82 seconds, had calmed somewhat while hundreds of young adorant girls proved to offer submerged support to their idol at the inaugural Klassic.

This tear of the hamstrings is a blow, in particular in the short term, refusing to the gold medalist in Paris a shot to another crown at the world indoor championships in Nanjing, China, next month. But the 22 -year -old woman remains optimistic.

So, without Hodgkinson, the attention turned to Georgia Hunter Bell on the track, and she flirted with the British record of 1,500 m, only to fall six tenths of the second short, but still producing an impressive race to win in 4 minutes 0.63 seconds.

“It looked like a truly fun atmosphere,” said Hunter Bell, with the European championships and the indoor world next to her schedule as she asks to support her bronze medal in Paris. “When we got out, everyone was dancing, so it was a little different from the usual meeting.”

Join the Olympic bronze medalist like the biggest attractions without Hodgkinson was the Olympian Neil Gourley, who broke the British room record of 1000m in 2 minutes 16.74 seconds to compete for a race for Europe and , while waiting for an all-powerful inner battle in one of the deepest events, the indoor world championships too.

“There are a lot of children here, I fell before and I did a lot of signing autographs, and I felt bad because I was not running,” Hodgkinson pointed out during the success assessment of its event. “Many of them told me that they were not athletics but are there, which is quite nice.

“The gold medal allowed me to play events like this and bring a new generation to sport to take advantage of looking at it. More or less, I think that I like to do my best and everything that comes from it comes from that. It’s so incredible to hear the stories of little girls and boys who watched me play in Paris, that’s what really inspires me. »»

His satisfaction occurs a few days after Michael Johnson criticized the format of the event after the unhappy injury removed her star attraction. “The current sport structure does not work,” said the quadruple Olympic champion, a few weeks before his own business to reshape the sport with the Grand Slam track in the American series. “You cannot build around a star. It is not convincing. Competition is. And it’s too big risk and the broadcasters know it. »»

He could have a point on the broadcast, with the disappointing BBC move to snub the event during a week of fallow of six nations.

But Hodgkinson inspired a new fans base and this event has attracted a rare crowd, certainly not with full capacity, but mainly filled with children, a difficult feat in professional sport with the temptation to neglect sport for other interests .

Positioned at the heart of the arena, in the four of the 60 m track, was held a gold and red throne. While waiting for potential record breakers, like Lina Nielsen, who joyfully jumped in front of a worshiped crowd after having broken the 300m British record with a 36.53 seconds.

There was no world record here, barely 12 hours after the superb 5,000 m of Grant Fisher (12 minutes 44.09 seconds) added to a revolutionary season in the world. But it was an entirely different atmosphere and demography: fans seemed less embarrassed by breathtaking divisions and more forced to get out of their seats and dance on the different successes played by the DJ Tony Perry.

You have also been struck by the hundreds of young girls present, obviously inspired by what Hodgkinson has done for British athletics.

“It was a killing with Keely injuring her hamstrings, who was always going to have an impact on the media threshing behind this, she was obviously the star attraction, for obvious reasons,” said Goulery. “It was a shame. But it seems that people have taken it again, we still have enough talent in this country, like Georgia [Hunter Bell]So that this thing stands alone. We need a date on the circuit of this country, we really do it, whatever the form or the form. »»

Hodgkinson is now faced with his most difficult test to date on the road to Tokyo, his injury offering a new challenge after reaching the size last year.

“I find that [overcoming an injury] Really motivating to be honest and I like a good challenge, ”concluded Hodgkinson. “It gives me motivation.

“Probably now returning from the injury and also by mixing this pressure from being the reigning Olympic champion, it’s a new experience for all of us in the team. But we seek to take it.