Spencer Lee Returns to Wrestling Roots as Retirement Rumors Flood After Setback at Paris Olympics

Can you remember a time when the wrestling world wasn’t abuzz with talk about Spencer Lee? After narrowly missing out on gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lee has been the subject of non-stop speculation. A Hawkeye legend with a jaw-dropping list of accomplishments, including three NCAA titles, Lee’s career has been one long victory parade. But now, the wrestling community is swirling with debate and rumors about what’s next for this decorated athlete. The speculation reached fever pitch after his silver medal finish in Paris, with whispers of a possible retirement sending shockwaves through his fanbase. Will Spencer Lee hang up his wrestling shoes, or is there another chapter in his storied career? Only time will tell

As the fandom wonders if Lee will hang up his boots, comes an interesting post from Japan’s wrestling ace Otoguro Keisuke. The post featured none other than Spencer Lee. Is Spencer Lee leaving the mat behind?  Otoguro’s post might just be a hint to the world. The post read, “It’s been 10 days since I came to Iowa. Hawkeye players are very serious and passionate about wrestling. I am grateful to be able to study in this environment and facility and would like to learn a lot.” Otoguro is no ordinary wrestler! He is Japan’s freestyle wrestler who won the Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Lee went on to repost it and add, “Awesome having you here” Lee yet again cleared that he does not intend to go into the night quietly.

Adding another layer of intrigue is Lee’s special bond with Japan. He even recently went on to say, “I’ve always loved Japan. I love their culture. And if it wasn’t for Japan, I maybe wouldn’t be here.” The island country is woven into the spirit of his story. His parents Larry and Cathy Lee, were both judo athletes who met in Japan. Lee’s dad is a U.S. judo coach, and his mom is a 1992 Olympic alternate in judo. His love for Japan is not all about his roots, there’s something more brewing.

On a visit to Japan, he got on the mat at Yamanashi Gakuin University where he reunited with Takuto Otoguro. Wondering how they met? Lee first met Takuto during the 2014 Cadet World Championships. Takuto Otoguro won the Gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Lee went on to say, “I’ve long been trying to visit Japan to see him and see how he trains.”

Spencer Lee went on to talk about Japanese training methods and expressed his admiration. “They train nothing like we do in America,” Lee says. “Americans get one partner, and you wrestle that guy the whole practice. That’s what I’ve done my whole life. They switch partners a lot.” He also added, “They don’t care if the wrestler is bigger or smaller or male or female. They just wrestle. It was cool. I really liked it a lot, to be honest.” For Lee, Japan isn’t just a country; it’s a wrestling home.

All the “Noise” on Retirement

Let’s not forget to address the elephant in the room! Retirement. Post-Paris performance, Lee’s future has been a buzzing topic. Lee hasn’t been quiet. “I don’t think there will ever be a perspective where I think it’s (a silver medal) good,” Lee said after his close loss to Rei Higuchi in the finals. He lost 4-2 to Higuchi. To make his loss worse, he misplaced his Silver medal. Stirring the pot further is the fact that, despite all this, he chose to stay in France with his family instead of returning to the US.

And no doubt, it started a whole new wave of speculation. But Spencer Lee has once and for all cleared the air with a series of posts. “They sang congrats to me in French (I’m sorry trying to be happy). Got to enjoy some of the beauty of France! I don’t think I plan on retiring or anything, time for some side quests!,” he wrote on Instagram.

Lee’s journey to Paris wasn’t one. He had returned to the mat after a double ACL surgery that sidelined him from the Tokyo Olympics. Talking about the Silver at Paris, he added “I don’t even know where it is.” It is clear to see that Lee’s focus is not just on the podium. As Lee’s “Sidequests” continue, the world patiently awaits his return to the map.