Team USA’s records and achievements from the 2026 Senior World Championships

The U.S. became the first country ever to win team titles at the World Championships in both men’s and women’s freestyle in the same year. The women’s freestyle team won its second team title and its first in the sport’s Olympic era (2004-current). It was the sixth team title for men’s freestyle and the fourth in the past 10 years. The U.S. now has nine World Championships team titles across the three Olympic disciplines. The Greco-Roman team won in 2007.

The U.S. finished with five champions, nine medalists, and every individual placing in the top 10, winning the nation’s sixth men’s freestyle team title. The team compiled an overall record of 42-6, an 87.5% win percentage. Previous men’s freestyle team titles came in 1993, 1995, 2017, 2022, and 2023. The team race was decided in the final session, as the U.S. outlasted Russia 194 to 185 in one of the greatest team races in the event’s history. Russia also had nine medalists and every athlete placed in the top five. The U.S. held a 5-2 head-to-head record against Russia at this event. This is the fourth team title in the past 10 years under head coach Bill Zadick.

On Oct. 30, 2026, Kyle Snyder became the third American to win a fifth gold medal at the Senior World Championships across all Olympic disciplines. He won the 97 kg bracket, which featured four Olympic champions—Snyder, Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia, Hassan Yazdanicharati of Iran, and Akhmed Tazhudinov of Bahrain. The only Americans to surpass five World titles are Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray, each with six. Snyder is now tied for the U.S. record with nine World Championships medals. Prior to this year, four Americans had reached that mark—Bruce Baumgartner and Jordan Burroughs in men’s freestyle, and Kristie Davis and Adeline Gray in women’s freestyle.

On Oct. 31, 2026, Kyle Dake became the fourth American to win a fifth gold medal at the Senior World Championships across all Olympic disciplines, one day after Snyder. He now owns gold medals in three different weight classes (74 kg, 79 kg and 86 kg), a first for the U.S. in men’s freestyle. At 35 years and eight months old, Dake surpassed Bruce Baumgartner as the oldest American to win a World title. Baumgartner was 34 years and nine months old when he won the 1995 Worlds.

On Oct. 30, 2026, 20-year-old Bo Bassett became the first U.S. men’s freestyle World champion at 65 kg (or its equivalent in the mid-60 kg range) since Bill Zadick won at 66 kg in 2006 in Guangzhou, China. Zadick, now the head coach of the U.S. National Team, helped coach Bassett in Astana, Kazakhstan. The current 65 kg weight class replaced 66 kg starting with the 2014 World Championships. Bassett won the 2026 World title before taking the mat in college competition, a rarity in the U.S. He will compete as a freshman at Virginia Tech this fall.

On Nov. 1, 2026, Spencer Lee completed his run to the 57 kg World title with a 26-second technical fall over Roman Bravo Young of Mexico in the finals. The win completed Lee’s sweep of the division, with bonus-point victories (one pin, four technical falls). In the lead-up to the World Championships, Lee tore his ACL for the fourth time and wrestled through the event despite the injury.

The U.S. set a new record for medals won by a single team at the World Championships across all Olympic disciplines, with nine medals in men’s freestyle. Gold medalists were Spencer Lee at 57 kg, Bo Bassett at 65 kg, Levi Haines at 79 kg, Kyle Dake at 86 kg, and Kyle Snyder at 97 kg. Trent Hidlay earned a silver medal at 92 kg. Bronze medalists were Marcus Blaze at 61 kg, Zain Retherford at 70 kg, and Wyatt Hendrickson at 125 kg. The previous record was eight medals, set in 1987 and again in 2022.

The U.S. set a new record for the most champions won by a single team at the World Championships across all Olympic disciplines, with five gold medalists in men’s freestyle—Spencer Lee at 57 kg, Bo Bassett at 65 kg, Levi Haines at 79 kg, Kyle Dake at 86 kg, and Kyle Snyder at 97 kg. The previous record was four champions, set three times (1993, 1995, 2022).

The U.S. sent six wrestlers to the championship match in men’s freestyle, out of 10 contested weight classes, the second most on record across all Olympic disciplines. The nation also had six finalists in 1989, 1991, and 2021. The record is eight finalists, set in 2022.

The U.S. finished with two champions, a silver medalist, three bronze medalists, and top-ten finishes in all but one weight class, securing the nation’s second women’s freestyle team title. The team compiled an overall record of 27-10, a 72.9% win percentage. This marks the second team title in U.S. women’s wrestling history and the first in its Olympic era (2004-present). The previous title came in 1999, with gold medalists Tricia Saunders and Sandra Bacher, plus silver medalist Kristie Davis, leading the way. This is the first team title for head coach Terry Steiner, who has been at the helm of the U.S. women’s program since 2002. The U.S. defeated perennial power Japan by two team points, 137 to 135. This is just the fifth year since 1989 that Japan has not won the women’s freestyle team title. The only countries outside of Japan and the U.S. to win women’s freestyle team titles are Russia (1995, 1998) and China (2001).

On Oct. 30, 2026, Everest Leydecker became the second-youngest American to win the World Championships across all Olympic disciplines, at 19 years and one month. Leydecker not only clinched individual gold with a 4-1 win over Ukraine’s Nataliia Klivchutska in the 55 kg gold medal match but also secured the team title. Additionally, Leydecker’s gold was her third World medal of the year across all age divisions. She won the U20 World Championships and was bronze at the U23 World Championships before Astana. The current record for the youngest U.S. World champion was set by Amit Elor in 2022 at 18 years and eight months. Before Elor, the record was held by Kyle Snyder, who won the World Championships on Sept. 11, 2015, at 19 years and nine months. That mark still stands in men’s freestyle.

On Oct. 28, 2026, Helen Maroulis won a bronze medal at 50 kg in women’s freestyle, claiming her ninth World medal. Maroulis is now tied for the U.S. record of nine World Championships medals. Prior to this year, four Americans had reached that mark—Kristie Davis and Adeline Gray in women’s freestyle, and Bruce Baumgartner and Jordan Burroughs in men’s freestyle. Maroulis also holds three Olympic medals, bringing her combined count of Senior-level World and Olympic medals to 12, one behind Bruce Baumgartner’s record of 13 World and Olympic medals.

On Oct. 29, 2026, U.S. Army Specialist Adaugo Nwachukwu won the 62 kg gold medal in women’s freestyle, beating two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist Nonoka Ozaki of Japan 12-11 in the final seconds. Nwachukwu is the first member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program to win a World title since Iris Smith claimed the 72 kg gold medal in Budapest, Hungary, in 2005. Born in Nigeria, Nwachukwu relocated to California in her youth. She also won a silver medal at the U23 World Championships this October.

The U.S. won six medals in women’s freestyle at the World Championships, the second most all-time. Gold medalists were Everest Leydecker at 55 kg and Adaugo Nwachukwu at 62 kg. Abigail Nette earned silver at 59 kg. Bronze medalists were Helen Maroulis at 57 kg, Kennedy Blades at 68 kg, and Dymond Guilford at 76 kg. Four women’s freestyle teams won seven World medals (2003, 2021, 2022, 2023), the current record.

2026 marks the seventh time the U.S. has had multiple women’s freestyle gold medalists at the World Championships. Everest Leydecker at 55 kg and Adaugo Nwachukwu at 62 kg won gold this year. Two teams have had three gold medalists (2019, 2022), which is the U.S. record. Five teams have reached the two-champion mark (1999, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2026).

2026 marks the 10th time the U.S. has had at least three finalists in women’s freestyle at the World Championships. This year’s finalists were Everest Leydecker at 55 kg, Abigail Nette at 59 kg, and Adaugo Nwachukwu at 62 kg. The current record for most World finalists in women’s freestyle is five, set in 2003 and 2022. The 2021 team had four finalists. Seven other teams reached the three-finalist mark (1996, 1997, 1999, 2012, 2019, 2023, 2026).