Spencer Lee Carried His College Success to Olympic Silver
Spencer Lee won men’s 57 kg freestyle silver in Paris on August 9, 2024. Japan’s Rei Higuchi defeated him 4–2 in the Olympic final, completing a tournament in which the former Iowa star reached the podium on his Games debut.
Three wins earned a place in the final
Lee opened with a narrow decision over China’s Zou Wanhao. He then defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Bekzat Almaz Uulu 12–2, recovering from an early takedown by scoring twelve unanswered points.
In the semifinal, he beat Uzbekistan’s Gulomjon Abdullaev 14–4 by technical superiority. Takedowns and gut wrenches helped him build the margin and secure another early finish on his route to the gold-medal match.
Higuchi reversed an early deficit
Lee led the final 2–0 after two stepout points in the first period. Higuchi answered with a takedown after the break, tying the score and moving ahead on criteria.
When Lee attacked in the closing seconds, Higuchi countered for another takedown. The 4–2 result left Lee with silver and made him the eleventh Iowa wrestler to earn an Olympic medal.
The collegiate foundation
Lee had previously won three NCAA championships for Iowa and twice received the Dan Hodge Trophy. His university honors also included three Big Ten titles and the 2020 AAU James E. Sullivan Award.
Those collegiate achievements came in folkstyle wrestling, while Paris tested him under international freestyle rules. His silver connected the two stages of his career with a successful first Olympic campaign.
Sources
- Iowa: Lee’s four Paris contests and final scoring sequence
- Iowa: NCAA titles, Hodge trophies and collegiate honors
