# Kylie Welker reaches another U23 world final with an 11-0 semi-final win

Source: SportsBriefly (https://sportsbriefly.com)
Canonical URL: https://sportsbriefly.com/en/article/kylie-welker-u23-world-final-las-vegas-2026-10-15-evening
Section: Wrestling & Judo (https://sportsbriefly.com/en/wrestling-judo)
Author: SportsBriefly
Language: en
Published: 2026-10-15T23:00:45.854+00:00
Updated: 2026-10-15T23:26:29.135546+00:00

> The American will face Serbia’s Evelin Ujhelji at 76kg, with Morgan Turner and Everest Leydecker also in bronze-medal contention.

## TL;DR
- Welker defeated Mariia Silina by an 11-0 technical fall.
- She will face Evelin Ujhelji in the 76kg final.
- The American is seeking a third consecutive U23 world title.

## Key points
- The championship is being held at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
- Morgan Turner advanced to a bronze-medal match at 50kg.
- Everest Leydecker advanced to a bronze-medal match at 55kg.
- The medal session begins at 18:00 Pacific on 15 October.

Kylie Welker moved within one victory of a third consecutive U23 world title after beating Mariia Silina 11-0 by technical fall in Las Vegas. USA Wrestling’s report, published overnight into 15 October in Tbilisi, confirms a 76kg final against Serbia’s Evelin Ujhelji.

*Cover photo: Kylie Welker competes in the 2026 U23 World Championships semi-final. Credit: [USA Wrestling](https://www.themat.com/news/2026/october/14/welker-returns-to-u23-world-finals-turner-and-leydecker-enter-bronze-medal-matches).*

## A third successive final

The victory at Thomas & Mack Center gives Welker another opportunity to add to her age-group record. USA Wrestling says a win in the final would make her the first American to claim three U23 world titles and the first women’s freestyle wrestler to take three in succession.

![Broadcast still from Welker’s U23 world semi-final against Mariia Silina.](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792106341817-8f2nu8-sports-2026-10-15-evening-wrestling-judo-inside-1-photo.jpg)

*Broadcast still from Welker’s U23 world semi-final against Mariia Silina. Credit: [United World Wrestling](https://uww.org/uww-plus/videos/mariia-silina-rus-vs-kylie-renee-welker-usa-2026-u23-world-championships-semi-final).*

Ujhelji reached the final through a much closer semi-final, defeating Ukraine’s Nadiia Sokolovska 11-10. The difference in those scores describes the routes to the final; it does not determine how the championship bout will unfold.

Welker’s route included an 11-0 win over Patrycja Cuber, a fall against Elmira Yasin and the technical-fall victory over Silina. The final remains unplayed in this edition’s reporting window.

## More medal opportunities for the United States

Morgan Turner and Everest Leydecker also remain in medal contention. Turner lost her 50kg semi-final 10-6 to Ukraine’s Aida Kerymova, while Hungary’s Gerda Terek pinned Leydecker in the 55kg semi-final.

Both Americans moved into bronze-medal matches, with their opponents dependent on the repechage programme. USA Wrestling listed the first group’s medal session for 18:00 Pacific on Thursday, which is 01:00 UTC on Friday, 16 October.

![Kylie Welker, left, and Dymond Guilford in USA Wrestling’s earlier Final X preview; archive montage.](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792106342366-k4rp6a-sports-2026-10-15-evening-wrestling-judo-inside-2-photo.jpg)

*Kylie Welker, left, and Dymond Guilford in USA Wrestling’s earlier Final X preview; archive montage. Credit: [USA Wrestling](https://www.themat.com/news/2026/september/17/welker-guilford-duel-at-76-kg-in-women-s-freestyle-at-2026-final-x-presented-by-kerberos-capital-management-wrestle-off-in-ohio).*

That time conversion matters for an evening edition prepared in Georgia: the medal bouts take place after the reporting cutoff. Welker’s final place is confirmed, but neither a gold medal nor the results of the bronze contests should be reported before the official results are available.

*15 October evening edition. Reporting reflects information available by 23:59 in Tbilisi (UTC+4).*

Mentions: Kylie Welker, Evelin Ujhelji, USA Wrestling, U23 World Championships, Las Vegas

## Sources
- [USA Wrestling](https://www.themat.com/news/2026/october/14/welker-returns-to-u23-world-finals-turner-and-leydecker-enter-bronze-medal-matches)
- [USA Wrestling international news](https://www.themat.com/news/international)