Collegiate Wrestler Stands Up for US Athlete Facing Racist Abuse After Eye-Poke DQ at Worlds

18-year-old Morgan Turner was making her first appearance at the Senior World Championships, hoping to build on her success at the U20 and U23 levels. But her debut in Astana took a difficult turn when she was disqualified against Russia’s Elizaveta Smirnova after twice poking her opponent in the eyes. In the days that followed, Turner reportedly received racist abuse over the incident, prompting American collegiate wrestler Riley Bettich to speak out in her defense. On October 28, @JBthehawkeye shared a TikTok video featuring Bettich, a two-time NJCAA All-American wrestler and social media influencer.