some American wrestlers have competed for so long and at such a high level that they’ve achieved legend-status even before they’ve finished competing.

adeline gray is one such competitor.

see below a visual retelling of adeline’s performance at final x in newark, nj.

gray’s 2023 defense of her title as the united states world team representative at 76kg against the young, talented, Kennedy Blades was nothing short of impressive, especially considering her loss to blades at the U.S. open weeks prior.

as if her performance wasn’t already epic, she did it all 10 months postpartum. gray herself speaks to the magnitude of this accomplishment in an instagram post here.

adeline responds to a fan’s question at the final x press conference

adeline’s competitor kennedy blades at the final x press conference

adeline’s status as an american wrestling legend means that when she speaks, people listen.

members of the wrestling media interview adeline following the formal press conference

women’s wrestling has made tremendous progress during adeline’s time as a competitor, and her work to combat sexism and promote equality in the sport has transcended the wrestling fanbase.

gray speaks to a group of women following the final x press conference

final x in newark, nj is the final hurdle for hopeful american wrestlers to overcome in order to represent america at that season’s world championships.

gray defeated blades in two consecutive matches to win the best-of-three series, securing her spot on the 2023 world team and a chance to win gold in serbia.