Spencer Richard Lee (born October 14, 1998) is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms.[1] In freestyle, he earned a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and is a two-time US National champion and three-time age-group world champion.[2][3]
In folkstyle, Lee won the James E. Sullivan Award and the Dan Hodge Trophy twice, as well as three NCAA Division I national championships out of the University of Iowa.[4] Lee was often considered one of the most dominant athletes in college athletics.[5][6]
Lee was born in Denver, Colorado, but grew up in Saegertown, Pennsylvania before moving to Murrysville, where he attended Franklin Regional High School.[7]
While in high school, Lee became a three-time PIAA state champion and recorded 144 wins before suffering his first and only loss in a dramatic upset while going for a fourth state title.[8] In the freestyle department, Lee became a two-time U20 World champion and a U17 World champion during his high school years.[9][10][11]
Before his senior year, Lee committed to wrestle at the University of Iowa.[12] A multiple-time national champion in different tournaments, Lee was the top-ranked wrestler in the country at the time of his commitment.[13]
Lee initially competed under a redshirt during his first year of collegiate wrestling, winning the UNI Open and placing sixth at the Midland Championships before having it pulled and competing as a true freshman instead.[14]
During regular season, Lee recorded wins over NCAA champions and All-Americans, before placing third at the Big Ten Championships.[15] At the NCAA championships, Lee had an outstanding run into the finals, where he defeated undefeated-in-the-season Nick Suriano to claim his first national championship.[16]
Lee was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and closed out the year with a 22–2 record.[17]
After an action-packed regular season, where he notably placed second at the Midland Championships, Lee placed second at the Big Ten Championships and headed off to the NCAA tournament.[18] Lee captured his second-straight national crown after running through the bracket, defeating Jack Mueller in the finals and closing out the year 23–3.[19]
On December of 2019, Lee made his senior-level debut, becoming the US National champion in freestyle and qualifying for the US Olympic Team Trials with notable wins over eventual World champion Vito Arujau and NCAA champions Darian Cruz and Nathan Tomasello.[20]
During his third season in college, Lee compiled an 18–0 record, grabbed his first Big Ten Conference title and was a favorite heading into the NCAA championships.[21] However, the national tournament was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[22]
After the cut-short season, Lee was awarded the James E. Sullivan Award as the most outstanding athlete in the United States and the Dan Hodge Trophy as the best college wrestler in the country.[23][24] He was also named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year after outscoring the opposition 234 to 18.[25]
The US Olympic Team Trials, where Lee was set to compete in, were delayed for 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[26]
Before folkstyle season started, Lee pinned four-time All-American Zach Sanders at the HWC 1 in freestyle.[27]
Lee then pinned all of his opponents in the first period during regular season, grabbed his second Big Ten title and became a three-time NCAA champion, dominating everyone throughout the season.[28] Lee later revealed he had torn his left ACL eight days before the tournament to match a torn right ACL suffered in the 2019 NCAA finals.[29]
Lee was then named the Dan Hodge Trophy winner for the second straight time, along with Gable Steveson.[30] He was repeated as the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.[31]
Lee was then set to compete at the US Olympic Team Trials in freestyle, however, he opted against participating due to his knee injuries.[32]
Since the NCAA granted athletes an extra year of eligibility after the 2020 season was cut short, Lee was set to compete in his last year of collegiate wrestling.[33] However, he achieved a 3–0 record before being pulled out of the season due to requiring surgery on both knees after recurring injuries, using a medical redshirt.[34]
Lee started off his final year of folkstyle wrestling undefeated in dual action and claiming the Soldier Salute and Big Ten titles.[35][36] At the NCAA tournament, where he was looking for a fourth national title, Lee cruised to the semifinals, where he faced Matt Ramos, whom he had previously pinned at a dual meet.[37] After an electric match, Lee was defeated by Ramos in one of the biggest upsets in the sports' history, and proceeded to medical forfeit out of the tournament, placing sixth.[38]
Lee graduated with three NCAA Division I National titles and Big Ten Conference titles, and a record of 95–6.[38] After his college career was over, Lee switched his focus to freestyle.[39]
In April, Lee wrestled in his first freestyle tournament since 2019, at the US Open National Championships. After three straight wins to reach the semis, where he was set to wrestle Nick Suriano, Lee forfeited out of the tournament due to his knee injuries, placing sixth.[40]
Lee then competed at the Bill Farrell Memorial in November.[41] He racked up dominant wins over the likes of Commonwealth Games medalist Muhammad Bilal and U20 World silver medalist Luke Lilledahl to make the finals, where he defeated NCAA and US Open champion Nico Megaludis to claim gold and qualify for the 2024 US Olympic Trials.[42]
Despite having already qualified for the US Olympic Trials, Lee competed at the US Senior Nationals on December, where he once again defeated Megaludis and picked up a gold medal to extend his win-streak.[43]
To start off February, Lee competed internationally for the first time since 2016, grabbing a Pan American title with quick victories over 2020 Olympian Óscar Tigreros and multiple-time Pan American medalist Pedro Mejías.[44][45]
In April, Lee competed at the US Olympic Team Trials, defeating NCAA champion Nico Megaludis for a third time and reigning US World Team Member Zane Richards to advance to the best-of-three finals, where he faced World champion and former teammate Thomas Gilman.[46] He defeated Gilman twice in a row to become the US Olympic Team Member at 57 kilograms.[47]
Lee then competed at the World Qualification Tournament, in an attempt to qualify the weight for the United States and earn the right to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[48] After a quick win over Morocco, Lee defeated U23 World medalist Zou Wanhao from China in a tight, high-scoring match to advance in the tournament.[49] Then, he defeated European champion Vladimir Egorov from North Macedonia in a battle of continental champions, to make the semifinals, where he reigned over two-time Asian medalist Rakhat Kalzhan from Kazakhstan. This result made Lee a 2024 Summer Olympian.[50]
In August, Lee made his Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[51] On the first day, he earned a rematch win over Zou Wanhao from China, as well as two technical falls over two-time U23 World medalist Bekzat Almaz Uulu from Kyrgyzstan and two-time Olympian Gulomjon Abdullaev from Uzbekistan, advancing to the finals and securing a medal.[52] On the next day, he contested the gold-medal match against Olympic silver medalist and World champion Rei Higuchi from Japan, losing in a tight bout and earning the silver medal after his first defeat on the senior level.[53]
Lee's mother, Cathy, was an Olympic alternate judoka and a native of France, and his father, Larry, also practiced the sport.[54] Lee is a Pokémon enthusiast.[55]
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