Welker Captures U23 World Gold, Kilty Secures Silver

TIRANA, Albania – Two University of Iowa women’s wrestlers had top two finishes at the 2024 U23 World Championships in Albania on Friday. Redshirt sophomore Kylie Welker secured the gold medal at 72 kg and senior Macey Kilty took silver at 62 kg.

In the gold medal match, Welker came out aggressive and defeated Vianne Rouleau of Canada with a quick pin coming at 1:12.

Kilty fell to Iryna Bondar of Ukraine in the gold medal match, 12-3. Kilty was down, 4-3, after the first period and then it was all Bondar in the second as she secured the victory. This was Kilty’s seventh world medal including all age levels.

Team USA also secured the women’s freestyle team title with 136 team points.

Kilty (65kg) and Welker (72kg) both will remain in Albania to compete at the 2024 Senior World Championships – Non-Olympic Weight starting on Tuesday, October 29.

62 kg – Macey Kilty – 2nd Place
WIN Tunys Dubek (Kazakhstan), VFA 2:32
WIN Esther Kolawole (Nigeria), VFA 5:29
WIN Astrid Montero Chirinos (Venezuela), VSU 10-0, 1:02
WIN Viktoria Vesso (Estonia), VSU1 12-2, 3:43
LOSS Iryna Bondar (Ukraine), VPO1 12-3

72 kg – Kylie Welker – 1st Place
WIN Anastassiya Panassovich (Kazakhstan), VSU 11-0, 4:59
WIN Haticenur Sari (Turkey) VSU 10-0, 0:39
WIN Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine), VPO1 3-1
WIN Vianne Rouleau (Canada), VFA 1:12