Iowa wrestling legend Spencer Lee advances to Olympic semifinals

Gold is within Spencer Lee’s reach.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are shining bright on the biggest stage in the world. They are making their presence known in Paris at the 2024 Olympics and Spencer Lee, the Iowa wrestling legend, just made his mark.

Spencer Lee is onto the Olympic Wrestling semifinals after two wins in a row. In the round of 16, Lee took down China’s Zou Wanhao by a score of 3-2.

He followed that performance up with an even more impressive win in the quarterfinals. He marched past Kyrgyzstan’s Almas Uulu with a 12-2 victory to secure a spot in the semis.

Up next for Spencer Lee is a semifinal matchup with Gulomjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan which is set to take place around 11:15 a.m. CT with a spot in the championship match on the line.

Taking the mat under the bright lights is nothing new for Spencer Lee. While at Iowa, he amassed a career record of 98-6. He won the Big Ten Championships three times (2020, 2021, 2023) and took home first place in the NCAA Division I Championships three times (2018, 2019, 2021) in the 125-pound weight class.

Lee also has experience on the international stage. He won the U17 World Championship in 2014, the U20 World Championships in 2015 and 2016, and the 2024 Pan American Championship in 2024.

Lee is one win away from a chance at the gold medal but is also still very much in contention for the podium pending the results of his next match as just four wrestlers remain.

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