Iowa Hawkeyes’ Spencer Lee just needs to find the steam for one final takedown. The three-time NCAA D1 wrestling champ has reached the semifinals in the men’s 57kg bracket and is now only one step away from standing on the top of the world. Despite his health condition being a point of concern among his fans ahead of the Paris Olympics, the 25-year-old has managed to trounce all challenges thrown at him so far at the City of Love. But a familiar face could be the last obstacle that stands in his way.

In the world of wrestling, Japan is considered a formidable threat thanks to its rich legacy in the sport. Now, as Spencer continues his search for the maiden Olympic gold, it could be another Japanese star to thwart his dreams.

Spencer Lee stands on the cusp of his biggest career achievement

A post by Justin Basch on X shared the lineup of the freestyle wrestling semifinal matches at the Paris Olympics. “These are gonna be straight fire!” reads the caption of the post, and taking a look at the line-up, any wrestling fan would agree. As per the post, Lee was set to lock horns with Uzbekistan’s Gulomjon Abdullaev, the seventh seed in the bracket. However, while the match was certainly titillating, it was the name above Spencer’s that turned heads.

Earlier this year, Lee got into a candid banter on social media with Japan’s Rei Higuchi. In their social media run-in, Higuchi and Lee both revealed their excitement about potentially crossing paths at the Paris Olympics. And now, it looks like their wishes are about to become a reality. Higuchi is an Olympic medalist, the 2022 world champion, and the top seed in the men’s 57kg weight class. He was the favorite to reach the finals by subduing India’s Aman Aman in the semis, which the former did without breaking much sweat. With one last test in his way, Higuchi also shared his mindset going into the final as he took to Instagram to claim it’ll be an “easy revenge” against Spencer.

Spencer had to bring his A-game to the mat in the semis to win the match and progress to the final as well. Addressing the challenge posed by the Uzbek, who also boasts several international gold medals under his belt, Lee went all in and won 14-4 with technical superiority. Keeping in mind that Lee has been on a roll ever since he came back from his injury last year, his chances of going on to win gold don’t seem too shabby now, either.

Lee has gotten the ball rolling in style

2023 started off rough for the Colorado native. After three straight wins at the US Open, Lee had to pull out of the tournament due to a knee injury casting dark clouds on his performance. Spencer decided to take a hiatus and focus on his recovery and returned emphatically at the 2023 Bill Farrell Memorial in New York to win the event, underscoring his determination to make up for the lost opportunity to make the national team at the 2020 Olympics. Soon after, Lee won gold at the US National Championships in the men’s 57kg bracket, before starting his 2024 with a bang by winning the Pan American Championships.

At April’s US Olympic Team Trials, Spencer trounced every opponent he faced including the likes of Nico Megaludis and the 2020 Olympics bronze medalist Thomas Gilman. At the 33rd Olympic Games till now, Lee soundly won all three matches, showcasing his skill on the mat. Lee’s performance has been phenomenal, to say the least, and even the Hawkeyes’ head coach Tom Brands believes his student is looking sharp. But will that be enough to go all the way?

Higuchi and Spencer will enter the mat for one final time tomorrow in the bracket. Will the Iowa celebrity be able to replicate his high school and NCAA success on the grand stage as well and win the ultimate prize? We’ll have to wait just a few more hours to see.