On Wednesday night, Team USA's freestyle wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt upgraded from Japanese bronze to French gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 30-year-old Hildebrandt — who won a bronze medal in the event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics — fought an unexpected opponent in her final, but still managed to come out on top.

India's Vinesh Phogat was initially scheduled to compete against the 30-year-old American, but failed to make weight earlier on Wednesday and was subsequently disqualified. Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez replaced Phogat in the final. 

It's the fourth-ever women's freestyle wrestling gold medal for the United States — and comes just one night after compatriot Amit Elor earned gold in the 68kg event. Until Tuesday, no two American female wrestlers had ever won gold at a single Olympics.

After clinching victory, Hildebrandt ran around the arena with the American flag behind her like a cape. Her enthusiasm was met by a roaring crowd. 

In a post-match interview, the Granger, Indiana, native spoke with the same bubbling energy — and shared an articulate, profound message.

"I'm gonna smile every moment I can and take every moment in," she told NBCOlympics.com. When asked why she thought USA's women wrestling team was so dominant, she spoke highly of teammate Amit Elor and emphasized gratitude, inspiration, love. 

"Can I inspire anyone to be courageous? To step up onto a mat — anything, any passion, and to believe in themselves, the authenticity of themselves, to just trust that? If I could do that for just one person, shoot —"

Hildebrandt laughed, then added, "— I would be so honored."