Former Iowa Hawkeye wrestler Spencer Lee’s Olympic debut in Paris is expected shortly. Sealing his spot in the 57kg category for the US, Spencer’s recent spectacle on the Istanbul mat was indeed special. And while the 25-year-old’s qualifying performance was awe-worthy, it wasn’t his only time being in the limelight. In his latest update, he claims that he has been widely respected in the wrestling fraternity for a long time now.

Fraught with injuries and hiatuses, the 3-time NCAA champion’s journey has been no picnic. Yet, in a recent podcast, Spencer discloses about being approached by multiple foreign coaches and athletes for pre-competition pictures. He even opens up on how that makes him feel and amplifies his confidence.

Spirit- the X factor that powered Spencer Lee’s comeback

Appearing on the Hawk Central Hour Podcast, Spencer chatted with Chad Leistikow of The Des Moines Register. In this 45-minute unfiltered talk, Lee spilled the beans on his former challenges and Olympic goals. Mainly, while speaking his mind about the present ‘moment‘ in his career, the wrestler drew a parallel with how he has proved his mettle previously, and thus the Olympic qualification is no one-hit-wonder.

“It’s funny how many foreign coaches and athletes wanted to take a picture with me before the competitions begin,” he boasted referring to the merit he holds in the industry. Further elaborating, Spencer stated, “I had like ten or eleven federations ask me to come train. And I hadn’t even wrestled yet.” Despite his 8-year absence, this indicates that he was still an industry favorite, which speaks very highly of his craft.

Moreover, Lee’s reaction to it all was the most gratifying. He added, “It was like a respect thing for me.” The wrestling icon found it extremely humbling that people still remember him even though it had been long since he competed internationally.

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Further, Lee even reminisced about an amusing incident with the WWE President after winning his second Junior World title. The freestyle wrestler explained, “He was handing me my medal and he said, I keep seeing ya. And I remember saying to him, you’re gonna see a lot more of me. And then he never saw me again.”  It’s clear that Lee was never short of confidence or skill but has been only obstructed by his repetitive injuries.

However, having come to terms with his past, Lee agrees that ever since the summer of 2017, he has missed out on consequential opportunities. “It’s took a long time for me to come back,” he acknowledged sincerely. But now that he is back, we can see that his fierceness, self-belief, and commitment seem two-fold. Therefore, it will be thrilling to watch the favorite back into action and how at the Olympic Village.

Will Spencer’s injury history dampen his chances for an Olympic victory?

Unfortunately, Spencer Lee has had to roll with the punches regarding his injuries. Starting right as a high schooler, Lee tore his ACL in a not-so-mild accident when a peer ran over him. Not only this but his knee has been harmed by multiple injuries over the years. Just last season, Lee’s discomfort pushed him to medically forfeit the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championship and the US Open.

Nonetheless, the star seems to have bounced back now. Lee achieved a 2-0 win over Hawkeye Tomas Giman in the Olympic Team Trials at the Bryce Jordan Center in April 2024. Again, at Istanbul, Lee registered four consecutive wins against Ben Tarik, Wanhao Zou, Vladimir Egorov, and Rakhat Kalzhan. These won him his ticket to Paris.

Yet, while his recovery graph is reassuring, the Paris Olympics is about to have him up against some top-class competitors like Rei Higuchi. Thus, Lee who looks in great shape will further have to display his A-game. But the question remains, will the injury allow him to function optimally? Only time will tell.