Union County High School sophomore Jordyn Raney is officially a world champion! On Tuesday, Raney won the gold medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling (55 kg weight class) at the 2023 U17 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.
Jordyn went undefeated in the tournament, powering through five impressive matches to win the championship. His bouts included wins over athletes from Egypt, Taipei, Uzbekistan, Iran, and India. Two of Raney’s opponents were former World champions and another was a former World medalist.
Raney was the only wrestler from the United States to win a medal in the Greco-Roman event. In addition to his gold medal, Raney earned recognition as the Team USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week for his dominating performance at the World Championships.
This was Jordyn’s first major international competition. He earned the right to join the USA World Team by winning first place at the USA Wrestling National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada in April.
We’re extremely proud of Jordyn, not only for this phenomenal accomplishment, but for his outstanding work ethic and strong character. Congratulations, Jordyn!