Grace Bullen
Norwegian freestyle wrestler
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Grace Jacob Bullen (born 7 February 1997) is a Norwegian freestyle wrestler. She is an Olympic bronze medallist, World Championships silver and bronze medallist, four-time European champion, and European Games bronze medallist. Bullen won a bronze medal in the women's 62 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics,[1] and the gold medal at the European Championships in 2017, 2020, 2024, and 2025.[2][3]
Bullen is also a U23 world champion and three-time European junior champion. She won the gold medal at the World U23 Championships in 2018 and the European Juniors Wrestling Championship in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Early life
Born in a refugee camp in Eritrea to South Sudanese parents, she moved to Fredrikstad, Norway in 2001 at the age of four.[4] Already at the age of four she took up wrestling in the martial arts club Atlas.[4][5]
Career
At the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics held in Nanjing, China, Bullen represented Norway and she won the gold medal in the girls' 60 kg event.[6][7] In the final, she defeated Pei Xingru of China.[6][7] In 2015, she represented Norway at the European Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan and she won one of the bronze medals in the women's 58 kg event.[8] She lost her first match against Emese Barka of Hungary and entered the repechage.[8] Here she won against Valeria Koblova by walkover and she defeated Irina Netreba of Azerbaijan in the bronze medal match.[8] Bullen also competed in the women's 58 kg event at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships held in Las Vegas, United States where she was eliminated in her second match by Marianna Sastin of Hungary.[9]
In 2016, Bullen won the silver medal in the women's 58 kg at the European Wrestling Championships held in Riga, Latvia.[10] In the final, she lost against Nataliya Synyshyn of Azerbaijan. The following year, she won the gold medal in the same event at the 2017 European Wrestling Championships held in Novi Sad, Serbia.[11][12] In the final, she defeated Mariana Cherdivara of Moldova.[11] In the same year, Bullen was eliminated in her first match in the women's 58 kg event at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships held in Paris, France.[13]
In 2018, Bullen competed in the 57 kg event at the World Wrestling Championships held in Budapest, Hungary.[14] She won her first match against Giullia Penalber of Brazil and her next match against Jong In-sun of North Korea.[14] She then lost her next match against Rong Ningning of China; Rong went on to win the gold medal.[14] Bullen then failed to secure the bronze medal in her match against Pooja Dhanda of India.[14] A month later, at the 2018 World U23 Wrestling Championship held in Bucharest, Romania, she won the gold medal in the women's 59 kg event.[15]
In 2019, Bullen won one of the bronze medals in the women's 57 kg event at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. In the same year, she also competed in the 57 kg event at the 2019 European Games held in Minsk, Belarus where she lost her bronze medal match against Anastasia Nichita of Moldova.[16] In 2020, Bullen won the gold medal in the 57 kg event at the European Wrestling Championships held in Rome, Italy.[17] In the final, she defeated Alina Akobiia of Ukraine.[17]
In March 2021, Bullen competed at the European Qualification Tournament in Budapest, Hungary hoping to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[18] Her hopes were dashed when she was eliminated in her first match by Bediha Gün of Turkey.[18] A month later, she was eliminated in her second match in the 59 kg event at the 2021 European Wrestling Championships held in Warsaw, Poland.[19] In May 2021, she failed to qualify for the Olympics at the World Qualification Tournament held in Sofia, Bulgaria.[20][21] She won her first two matches but she was then eliminated in the semi-finals by Veronika Chumikova.[20][22] In October 2021, she was eliminated in her first match in the women's 59 kg event at the World Wrestling Championships held in Oslo, Norway.[23]
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In 2022, Bullen won the gold medal in her event at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2022 held in Rome, Italy.[24] She won the silver medal in the 59 kg event at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.[2][3]
Bullen won the silver medal in the 62 kg event at the 2023 European Wrestling Championships held in Zagreb, Croatia.[25][26] She won one of the bronze medals in the 62 kg event at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.[27] As a result, she earned a quota place for Norway for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[28]
Bullen won the gold medal in the 62 kg event at the 2024 European Wrestling Championships held in Bucharest, Romania.[29][30] She defeated Luisa Niemesch of Germany in her gold medal match.[29][30]
Bullen won one of the bronze medals in the women's 62 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[31][32] She defeated Ana Godinez of Canada in her bronze medal match.[32]
In 2025, Bullen won the gold medal in the 65 kg event at the European Wrestling Championships held in Bratislava, Slovakia.[33][34]
Achievements
| Year | Tournament | Location | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | European Games | Baku, Azerbaijan | 3rd | Freestyle 58 kg |
| 2016 | European Championships | Riga, Latvia | 2nd | Freestyle 58 kg |
| 2017 | European Championships | Novi Sad, Serbia | 1st | Freestyle 58 kg |
| 2020 | European Championships | Rome, Italy | 1st | Freestyle 57 kg |
| 2022 | World Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 2nd | Freestyle 59 kg |
| 2023 | European Championships | Zagreb, Croatia | 2nd | Freestyle 62 kg |
| World Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 3rd | Freestyle 62 kg | |
| 2024 | European Championships | Bucharest, Romania | 1st | Freestyle 62 kg |
| Summer Olympics | Paris, France | 3rd | Freestyle 62 kg | |
| 2025 | European Championships | Bratislava, Slovakia | 1st | Freestyle 65 kg |
