Zain Retherford has hit a shocking stumbling block. Touted as one of the frontrunners for the US wrestling hopes in Paris, Retherford has been impressive so far. Specializing in the freestyle and folkstyle genres, Retherford won the gold medal in the 2023 Worlds at Belgrade. Right from his NCAA days, Retherford was a force to be reckoned with. Competing in the 149lbs category, the 28-year-old clinched 3 back-to-back Big Ten golds to etch his name in the NCAA glory. 

Retherford has since then continued his red-hot form. He won the gold in the 2019 World Cup and also secured gold in the 2022 Worlds. Unfortunately, just at the time, he was looking invincible and set for Paris, he got jolted back to reality. 

Zain Retherford slips in the pre-match trials

Zain Retherford faced off against the Mongolian Tulga Tumur Ochir in the pre-match qualifiers. What was thought to be a cakewalk for the American wrestler turned out to be quite different. Ochir displayed immense grit and determination to come out on top 7-2 in a shocking round of 16 results. Retherford looked quite confident going into the match and was also placed 2-2 till the very end. However, it was Ochir’s relentless pursuit of victory that made him cross the line. 

With just 30 seconds left on the clock, the Mongolian came up with a single leg with exposure. This caught Retherford off guard and cost him the match. USA Gymnastics reported the results while lauding Ochir. The tweet read, “Zain Retherford 🇺🇸 falls to Tulga Tumur Ochir 🇲🇳 7-2 in the round of 16. Zain was up 2-2 on criteria in the final minute. Tumur Ochir hit a single leg with exposure with 30 seconds left to win the match.”

Meanwhile, such an unexpected result made other wrestlers take notice. Sympathizing with Retherford, American fellow wrestler, Jordan Oliver took to his X account and stated, “Tiny mistakes in this dang game🤦🏽‍♂️ its alright he will comeback 👊🏽” Oliver seemed confident of Retherford bouncing back and rightly so, keeping in mind the red hot form Retherford was in. 

However, Retherford’s road to Paris so far was seemingly unblemished. He faced off against Stefan Coman and Ibrahim Guzan in the first two rounds. As expected, Retherford made quick work of the two as he seamlessly transitioned into the third round. He also won the US wrestling trials to further establish his dominance in the sport. 

But even after the shock defeat, Retherford can still make it to the Paris Olympics 2024. Retherford will hope for Tulsa Tumar-Ochir to win his next two rounds. This will then allow the 28-year-old US wrestler to compete in the repechage round for the third place. He will be entering in the qualifiers tomorrow, via the consolation bracket, hoping to turn around his fate and aim for Olympic glory.  

Fans give their two cents about Retherford’s shock loss 

Fans, however, were utterly shocked. They quickly took to the comments section to express themselves. One of the fans shared an opinion. They suggested that the referee’s decisions favored Tulga Tumur Ochir throughout the match, implying bias against Zain Retherford. They also believe that the referee’s calls were consistently in favor of Tumur Ochir, which finally led to an unfair outcome.

Another comment reflected the dissatisfaction of the fan with the outcome of the match. Zain Retherford wrestled against Tulga Tumur Ochir and fans suggest a perception of unfairness or injustice in the officiating of the match. But as time will dictate the course of events, it remains to be seen if Paris will be as unforgiving to him as the Istanbul qualifiers.

Another comment highlighted the unexpected outcome of Zain Retherford. Retherford has been a highly decorated 3-time NCAA champion. The fact that he was defeated by a wrestler who had achieved success as a silver medalist at the Yarygin Grand Prix was not satisfactory to one of the X users.

One fan pointed out the fact that for Zain Retherford to secure a spot in the Olympics, he needs to rely on Tulsa Tumar Ochir. Retherford’s chance hinges on Tumar Ochir’s success, as Retherford would then have to qualify through the consolation bracket. If Mongolian wrestler Tumar-Ochir secures a win in the next two matches, it will turn out to be favorable for Retherford.

One wrestling fan pointed out how Retherford’s Olympics dreams are still alive. In the match, Retherford conceded a late 4-point move to Tulga Tumur Ochir, resulting in a 7-2 loss. Retherford’s path to Olympic qualification now relies on Ochir advancing to the final, which would allow Retherford to enter the repechage round. And thus allow him to contend for third place, thus keeping his Olympic qualification hopes alive.

Thus, with the stakes going high, it will be interesting to see if Zain Retherford can turn the tides and clinch the coveted ticket to Paris.