Team USA Wins Women’s Freestyle Team Title at U17 World Championships, Fernandez and Solomon Capture Gold

Jul 31, 2026, 1:15 PM EDT

��David Gerhart, 91��

Team USA after winning the women's freestyle team title at the 2026 U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan

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BAKU, Azerbaijan – The U.S. women’s freestyle team won the team title at the 2026 U17 World Championships on Friday night at the National Gymnastics Arena. Marlee Solomon and Taina Fernandez capped off the final women’s freestyle session with gold medals for Team USA.

This is the first team title at the U17 World Championships for the U.S. women’s freestyle program since 2021. Team USA racked up 167 points and finished with eight medals in women’s freestyle (four gold, one silver, three bronze).

Fernandez captured her third career U17 World title with another dominant performance. She pinned 2026 U17 European champion Kiymet Tezcan of Türkiye 1:24 into the bout as she pinned her way through the 69 kg bracket.

In her U17 career, Fernandez compiled a record of 12-0 with eight falls and three technical falls. She allowed only six points across those 12 matches, all of which were in one single contest, which she won 13-6.

At 53 kg, Solomon continued her bonus run to the U17 World title with an 11-0 technical fall against Akshara of India. The tech fall came on the heels of back-to-back pins in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Landri Von Gonten earned silver for the U.S. after falling to Ozdenur Ozmez of Türkiye in the championship match at 61 kg, 11-0.

To start the medal round, Sophia Valdez and Madison Healey won bronze medals in dominating fashion. Valdez got the session underway at 40 kg with a 9-0 decision over two-time U15 Asian medalist Rohini Devba of India. Then at 46 kg, Healey capped off her comeback through the repechage to win bronze, 10-0, against 2024 U17 World Team member Vivien Szentpal of Hungary.

For a complete match-by-match breakdown from today’s matches for Team USA, visit our day five match notes.

Rounding out the top three in the team standings were India with 132 points and Japan with 126.

The 2026 U17 World Championships continue on Friday with both men’s freestyle groups competing. Action begins at 10:30 a.m. local time/2:30 a.m.ET.

Live streams and archived matches are available on in the U.S. market. Brackets and results are hosted on .

For live results and updates from the U17 World Championships, follow along with 91��’s social channels and .

2026 U17 World Championships

At Baku, Azerbaijan, July 31

Reference Links

Women’s Freestyle Results

Team Standings

1. United States, 167

2. India, 132

3. Japan, 126

4. Türkiye, 80

5. Ukraine, 71

6. Russia, 57

7. Kazakhstan, 55

8. Mongolia, 47

9. Kyrgyzstan, 40

10. Uzbekistan, 39

Weight Class Rankings (Group Two)

40 kg

Gold – Natsumi Sasaki (Japan)

Silver – Tasmin Athimni (Tunisia)

Bronze – Sophia Valdez (United States)

Bronze – Sirin Askara (Türkiye)

5th – Rohini Devba (India)

5th – Gulkhanim Shirinova (Azerbaijan)

7th – Ozgorush Kasymbekova (Kyrgyzstan)

8th – Fidan Mamedova (Russia)

9th – Zaytuna Saparova (Uzbekistan)

10th – Mariia Drebot (Ukraine)

Gold – Natsumi Sasaki (Japan) tech. fall Tasmin Athimni (Tunisia), 10-0

Bronze – Sophia Valdez (United States) dec. Rohini Devba (India), 9-0

Bronze – Sirin Askara (Türkiye) dec. Gulkhanim Shirinova (Azerbaijan), 12-4

46 kg

Gold – Kokona Makino (Japan)

Silver – Sandhya Vishnoi (India)

Bronze – Madison Healey (United States)

Bronze – Inzhu Bakkozha (Kazakhstan)

5th – Vivien Szentpal (Hungary)

5th – Alina Baranova (Russia)

7th – Aiana Niiazbekova (Kyrgyzstan)

8th – Nuray Jafarli (Azerbaijan)

9th – Frederika Grosse (Germany)

10th – Elif Aksoy (Türkiye)

Gold – Kokona Makino (Japan) fall Sandhya Vishnoi (India), 3:53

Bronze – Madison Healey (United States) tech. fall Vivien Szentpal (Hungary), 10-0

Bronze – Inzhu Bakkozha (Kazakhstan) dec. Alina Baranova (Russia), 8-3

53 kg

Gold – Marlee Solomon (United States)

Silver – Akshara (India)

Bronze – Mariia Zhytovoz (Hungary)

Bronze – Rion Ogawa (Japan)

5th – Alejandra Serrano Roa (Colombia)

5th – Valeria Stancheva (Bulgaria)

7th – Fatima Bayramova (Azerbaijan)

8th – Aidemi Asangazieva (Kyrgyzstan)

9th – Rahma Rezgui (Tunisia)

10th – Sabrina Abdreymova (Uzbekistan)

Gold – Marlee Solomon (United States) tech. fall Akshara (India), 11-0

Bronze – Mariia Zhytovoz (Hungary) tech. fall Alejandra Serrano Roa (Colombia), 11-0

Bronze – Rion Ogawa (Japan) tech. fall Valeria Stancheva (Bulgaria), 10-0

61 kg

Gold – Ozdenur Ozmez (Türkiye)

Silver – Landri Von Gonten (United States)

Bronze – Graciela Eningo Asama (Spain)

Bronze – Avanshika (India)

5th – Surae Abbassoy (Finland)

5th – Aruzhan Bakytnur (Kazakhstan)

7th – Mariama Kaba (Guinea)

8th – Waka Awano (Japan)

9th – Maryia Khrushchova (Belarus)

10th – Kamila Temiraeva (Russia)

Gold – Ozdenur Ozmez (Türkiye) tech. fall Landri Von Gonten (United States), 10-0

Bronze – Graciela Eningo Asama (Spain) fall Surae Abbassoy (Finland), 0:52

Bronze – Avanshika (India) dec. Aruzhan Bakytnur (Kazakhstan), 5-1

69 kg

Gold – Taina Fernandez (United States)

Silver – Kiymet Tezcan (Türkiye)

Bronze – Nino Samkharadze (Georgia)

Bronze – Taniya (India)

5th – Milana Ulanova (Kyrgyzstan)

5th – Maja Wejchan (Poland)

7th – Khuslen Munkhbayasgalan (Mongolia)

8th – Sophia Anastase (Romania)

9th – Polina Efimova (Russia)

10th – Shakhsanem Toreniyazova (Uzbekistan)

Gold – Taina Fernandez (United States) fall Kiymet Tezcan (Türkiye), 1:24

Bronze – Nino Samkharadze (Georgia) dec. Milana Ulanova (Kyrgyzstan), 2-1

Bronze – Taniya (India) tech. fall Maja Wejchan (Poland), 12-2

U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results

Group Two

40 kg – Sophia Valdez (Colorado Springs, Colo./Betterman Elite Wrestling), bronze medal

WIN Aiaru Iliyas (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Zaytuna Saparova (Uzbekistan), fall, 3:42

LOSS Natsumi Sasaki (Japan), 4-2

WIN Rohini Devba (India), 9-0

46 kg – Madison Healey (Luzerne, Pa./Wyoming Seminary), bronze medal

WIN Gulnoza Zakirdjanova (Uzbekistan), fall, 1:35

LOSS Kokona Makino (Japan), 8-2

WIN Mungunchimeg Gavaa (Mongolia), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Vivien Szentpal (Hungary), tech. fall, 10-0

53 kg – Marlee Solomon (McDonald, Pa./Wrestling Chix), gold medal

WIN Mariia Zhytovoz (Hungary), 5-4

WIN Fatima Bayramova (Azerbaijan), fall, 3:06

WIN Alejandra Serrano Roa (Colombia), fall, 3:42

WIN Akshara (India), tech. fall, 11-0

61 kg – Landri Von Gonten (Spring, Texas/Boneyard Wrestling Academy), silver medal

WIN Avanshika (India), fall, 2:27

WIN Marisa Iturrino (Puerto Rico), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Kamila Temiraeva (Russia), 8-6

WIN Aruzhan Bakytnuy (Kazakhstan), 7-6

LOSS Ozdenur Ozmez (Türkiye), tech. fall, 10-0

69 kg – Taina Fernandez (Bowie, Md./Titan Mercury WC), gold medal

WIN Taniya (India), fall, 1:45

WIN Sophia Anastase (Romania), fall, 1:03

WIN Maja Wejchan (Poland), fall, 0:33

WIN Kiymet Tezcan (Türkiye), fall, 1:24

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