Imagine the scene: Paris, 2024. The City of Lights, buzzing with Olympic energy. And there, at just 20 years old, she wasn’t just competing – she was making history, becoming the youngest U.S. wrestler ever to grab an Olympic gold medal. She absolutely dominated the women’s freestyle 68 kg division, barely giving up a single point – just two across four bouts! And get this: over five years, she outscored her opponents by a staggering 375-19. Talk about untouchable!
This wasn’t a fluke, either. Amit Elor was already a wrestling phenom, a nine-time gold medalist across U17, U20, U23, and Senior World Championships. She was, quite simply, the face of American wrestling excellence.
But even the most unstoppable forces can hit an unexpected snag, right?
After a much-needed break from her Parisian glory, Elor was back on the mat, already eyeing her next challenge: the 72 kg spot for the 2025 World Championships. She’d already punched her ticket to this weekend’s Final X event in Newark, N.J., by winning the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Louisville, Ky., just last month. In the Trials final, she duked it out with Skylar Grote, securing a tight 2-1 victory. It wasn’t easy, especially after a long layoff, but it showed just how resilient she was. Her next hurdle? A showdown with Alexandria Glaude, who’d earned her own Final X spot by dominating the 2025 U.S. Open in Las Vegas. The prize? A coveted spot on the World Team.
The correct thing to do here, in my opinion, with Elor out is that everyone slides up one spot. Alex Glaude and Sky Grote should now wrestle off for the World Team spot.
A spot should always be decided by a best-of-3 series. Not an opponent forfeit a week out. https://t.co/HKsRz93Nyp
— Justin Basch (@JustinJBasch) June 11, 2025
But then, out of nowhere, a bombshell dropped that left everyone wondering: could Elor’s incredible run truly continue?
Late Tuesday, the wrestling world was left stunned when Elor announced she was pulling out of Final X. In a heartfelt Instagram post, she revealed the tough truth: “I recently found out that I was anemic during the World Team Trials, which added up to be too much with my current injuries.” It turns out the combination of anemia and those nagging injuries was just too much for the Olympic champion. She had to make the difficult call to step back and put her health first.
So now, with Elor off the mat, everyone’s asking: What happens next for the 72 kg World Team spot? And who will be the one to step up and seize this unexpected opportunity?
Community uproar over the Elor announcement
Remember that incredible feeling of watching Amit Elor, well she dropped a bombshell: she was pulling out. Why? She revealed on Instagram that she’d found out she was anemic during the May World Team Trials, and combined with her existing injuries, it was just “too much.” So, what on earth does this mean for the wrestling world now?
Instantly, the debate over that coveted 72 kg spot exploded. Remember, Elor was supposed to wrestle Alexandria Glaude, who’d earned her Final X slot by narrowly beating Skylar Grote 4-3 at the U.S. Open. Now, with Elor out, some fans on social media were quick to say, “Look, Glaude beat Grote! She earned that spot fair and square!”
But then, others jumped in, scratching their heads and asking, “Hold on, what about Kaylynn Albrecht? She’s a strong 72 kg contender too! Why isn’t she getting a shot? It makes no sense to just slide Grote in when Albrecht has just as much claim!” And to complicate things further, someone else chimed in, “Why should Grote even get a wrestle-off? She hasn’t even secured the third spot on the team yet!” So, seriously, who does get to step up to the plate now?
And just to stir the pot even more, there’s the whole issue of Elor’s weight class change. She chose to compete at 72 kg, which is different from her Olympic 68 kg. Fans quickly pointed out the implications: “Because she went a different weight than the Olympics, she isn’t allowed to ask for that extension now.”
Others voiced a deeper concern, wondering aloud, “If we do that, are we essentially kicking Amit off the national team altogether? I mean, she did earn her spot into Final X, so shouldn’t she at least be considered the number two for national team benefits?” While everyone is genuinely wishing her well, “Hoping for a speedy recovery!” USA Wrestling is left grappling with a massive dilemma: how do they possibly balance fairness, opportunity, and the long-term well-being of their star athlete?
The post Wrestling Community Land in Hot Debate After Olympic Champion’s Forfeit Leaves American World Championship Spot in Jeopardy appeared first on EssentiallySports.