PARIS — As she processed winning an Olympic gold medal, American wrestler Amit Elor still felt like that little girl just starting out in the sport.
Maybe it's because it's not that far from that point.
Elor, just 20, defeated Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan 3-0 in the 68-kilogram final at the Paris Games on Tuesday to become the youngest Olympic wrestling gold medalist in U.S. history.
“I still can't believe it,” she said. “I think I have a bit of imposter syndrome.”
Elor's dominance was very evident to their opponents. They held a 31-2 lead in four games and did not concede a goal in their last three encounters.
She became the third American woman to win gold, following Helen Maroulis in 2016 and Tamyra Mensah-Stock in 2021. Women began wrestling at the Olympics in 2004.
After the victory, he placed the U.S. flag on his back and jumped around the mat.
“It was one of the best moments of my life,” he said. “I think I'll remember it for the rest of my life. It's one of the best feelings in the world. And when I experience something like that, it reminds me that it's all worth it. All the hard days, the effort, it's all worth it for moments like these.”
She said she achieved her success by choosing not to think too much.
“Often when we feel like we need to rise to the occasion, we think we need to make changes and adjustments,” she said. “But the truth is, that's not the case. We should always try to do our best. Even if it's the Olympics rather than the trials, we should always give it our all. That's exactly what I did.”
Elor is already a two-time world champion, the first time at age 18. Now, the Northern California native hopes to win Olympic gold in her home state at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“To have the opportunity to compete and represent not only my country, but my state, and compete in my own state, it's amazing,” she said. “I've been excited about it ever since I found out.”
