TexasWrestling
PONTEVEDRA, Spain – Jasmine Robinson, a four-time Texas state champion from Allen, showcased her world-class talent once again, capturing gold at the 2024 U20 World Championships. Competing in the 72 kg weight class, Robinson delivered a flawless performance, pinning all four of her opponents, culminating in a decisive victory over U20 Asian runner-up Yuqi Liu of China in the final match.
Robinson, already a national standout, added this world title to her growing list of accolades, which includes titles at both the U20 and U23 divisions of the 2024 U.S. Marine Corps Women’s National Championships. She was also the 2023 U17 national champion at 69 kg and earned a bronze medal at the 2023 U17 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.
On Friday evening in Pontevedra Municipal Sports Hall, Robinson’s victory over Liu secured the U.S. women’s fourth medal of the tournament, and her win was instrumental in pushing Team USA to a third-place team finish.
In the gold medal match, Robinson overcame an early 2-0 deficit when Liu scored a double-leg takedown within the first 10 seconds. However, Robinson responded in spectacular fashion, hitting a pair of four-point throws—an overhook toss followed by a neck wrench. Though Liu managed a reversal, Robinson maintained a 9-4 lead at the break. Liu closed the gap early in the second period, but Robinson countered with another neck wrench, securing the fall at the 4:14 mark.
The victory over Liu capped a dominant tournament for Robinson, who pinned Senior Pan American silver medalist Edna Jimenez Villalba of Mexico, Kristina Bratchikova of the neutral athletes, and U17 World bronze medalist Noemi Osvath Nagy of Hungary en route to the finals. In total, Robinson spent just seven minutes on the mat across her four matches, with her gold medal bout being the only one to stretch into the second period.
Robinson’s efforts played a crucial role in Team USA’s third-place finish in the tournament standings. With Japan leading the pack behind three champions and 149 points, and India finishing second with 130 points, the race for third place came down to the 72 kg final between the U.S. and China. Robinson’s win clinched the bronze team spot for the Americans, pushing them ahead of China by two points, 101 to 99.
Robinson joined Cristelle Rodriguez (55 kg) as Team USA’s gold medalists in women’s freestyle, with Alexis Janiak earning a silver at 59 kg and Naomi Simon securing a bronze at 76 kg. Anaya Falcon, Cadence Diduch, Reese Larramendy, and Caitlyn Davis added critical points with top-10 finishes in their respective weight classes.
Despite a tough loss for Carissa Qureshi in the 57 kg repechage against India’s Neha Neha, the U.S. women capped their run in Spain with a strong overall performance. With two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze, Team USA once again demonstrated its depth and dominance on the global stage.
The U20 World Championships continue tomorrow with men’s freestyle repechage and qualification rounds.
