1 year ago. Tokyo, Japan

Tamyra Mensah-Stock becomes first ever black female wrestler to bag gold at Olympics

Tamyra Mensah-Stock is the first black woman to win gold in wrestling at the Olympics
Mensah-Stock defeated second-seed Blessing Oborududu
She failed to be a part of the Rio Olympics because the US had not qualified for a spot in her weight class.

US wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock clinched a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s gold 68kg freestyle final, becoming the first black woman and the second woman to win a gold in wrestling at the Olympics for the United States.

Mensah-Stock defeated second-seed Blessing Oborududu by 4-1 in the first period after securing points with two takedowns. However, neither of the two seized a point in the second period.

Both Tamyra and Oborududu created a historic moment, as Oborududu also became the first Nigerian athlete to win an Olympic medal in wrestling.

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"I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, look at us representing,' " Mensah-Stock said in a statement. "It's so freaking awesome. You're making history, I'm making history. We're making history. So it meant a lot,” she added. The American wrestler dreams of inspiring young black girls to pursue sports. She admitted to wanting to encourage her family’s heritage in Ghana for the same. Mensah lost her father to an accident while he was coming back from a wrestling meet, according to USA Today. "He would have been the loudest one here," she said. "He would have been so proud."

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The victory at the Tokyo Olympics was an emotionally overwhelming experience for her. The US gymnast broke down into tears several times at the podium.

"I'm feeling very happy and I keep trying not to cry, but it keeps happening," she said in an official statement by Team USA. "I just want to go into a dark room and cry, but I'm crying from joy."

Tamyra Mensah-Stock’s first match was against the 2016 Olympic gold medalist and 2017 world champion, Sara Dosho of Japan. Her journey to the Tokyo Olympics was not as easy as it seems. She finished first in the U.S. Olympic team trials before the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, she failed to be a part of the Olympics because the US had not qualified for a spot in her weight class.

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Tamyra Mensah-Stock becomes first ever black female wrestler to bag gold at Olympics

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