“It’s over. My career is over.” Those were the first thoughts that crossed Spencer Lee’s mind when he suffered the fourth ACL tear of his career just three months before the 2026 Senior World Championships during practice. Yet, despite the injury, the 3x NCAA champion and 2024 Olympic silver medalist went on to win his first Senior World Championship title after spending 16 weeks away from wrestling before making his return. He had even considered giving up his place on the American team, but the 28-year-old decided to give himself one more chance. And what followed was an emotional victory that left him in tears after years of injuries and setbacks.

On November 1, Lee finally reached the top of the Senior World podium in Astana, Kazakhstan. Competing in the 57kg freestyle final, he faced Mexico’s Roman Bravo-Young and needed just 26 seconds to secure a 10-0 victory by technical superiority. He opened with a takedown before using a series of lace-lock turns to finish the match. But as the final whistle sounded, the gold medal was only part of what he was feeling. As he walked towards the post-match interview area, Lee could no longer hold back his emotions.

He broke down in tears, hugged his coach, Tom Brands, and struggled to speak through his crying. “I made it; it’s been tough, man,” he said. The emotion became even more understandable when he revealed that he had nearly given up his place on the American team after suffering his fourth ACL tear. “I tore my ACL again for the fourth time like three months ago, and I was going to concede the spot. And I said, I’ll just go win it anyways. So, here I am,” he explained.

Having already suffered three previous ACL tears, the thought of facing another recovery was difficult to accept. “The day I tore it, man, I looked at my coaches and I was like, ‘It’s over…” he recalled, his voice breaking as he fought back tears. His coach, Tom Brands, then asked him what he wanted to do. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his knee, Lee knew he was not ready to walk away. He decided to compete, even if it meant risking another disappointing result. “I’m going to go out and put it on the line, hurt or not, and I’m going to go win,” he remembered telling his coach.

Lee’s preparation for the competition was far from normal. He revealed that he had not wrestled for 16 weeks before arriving in Astana and was unsure whether his body would allow him to perform as usual. In fact, he did not even know whether he would be able to shoot during his matches. The injury had also affected his explosiveness, leaving him struggling to move the way he normally would. Still, he refused to give up his opportunity to represent the United States, even when his own body was giving him reasons to doubt himself.

His journey to the gold medal was not without challenges. After winning his opening matches, Lee faced Azerbaijan’s Islam Bazarganov in the semifinals. The match quickly became a difficult battle, with Bazarganov building a 10-5 lead. Lee later admitted that his injured knee made it difficult to wrestle as he normally would. However, when his opponent attempted another turn, Lee found an opening and pinned him to secure his place in the final.

Looking back on the moment, he explained that he knew what Bazarganov was trying to do because his opponent had used the same move against him in their previous meeting. He then joked about his response: “You can turn me once, but I guess that was only the second time I’ve ever been turned. But you can ask my teammates. If you turn me one time and you get greedy, I’ll pin you.”

But the emotional weight of the World Championship went beyond the injury he had suffered just months earlier. Lee also revealed that winning another World title brought back memories of his earlier success as a young wrestler. He had won a U20 World Championship around a decade ago, and returning to the top of the international podium after so many difficult years made the moment even harder to hold in.

“I think this is why I’m crying so bad. Usually, I don’t celebrate,” he admitted. He then explained that repeated ACL injuries had prevented him from competing and making teams throughout much of his career. After suffering the latest tear, he had genuinely believed he might never get another opportunity. “I thought, ‘No way. No way I’m not going to get another shot.’ So, you know, I was able to do it,” he said. But this was a fear he had carried for years, ever since his first serious knee injury.

Spencer Lee’s long battle with ACL injuries

Spencer Lee’s first ACL tear came in 2017, during his senior year at Franklin Regional High School in Pennsylvania, just weeks before the state wrestling championships. Rather than undergo surgery immediately, Lee chose to compete and made it all the way to the state final, where he lost 6-5 to Austin DeSanto. He later underwent surgery to repair the injury. However, his knee problems did not end there.

In 2019, Lee tore the same right ACL again during the 125-pound NCAA Championship final against Virginia’s Jack Mueller. Despite getting injured during the match, he managed to secure a 5-0 victory and claim his second NCAA title. He chose not to undergo another surgery and continued competing. Two years later, however, he faced another serious injury.

This time, Lee tore his left ACL during the 2021 Big Ten Championship final against Purdue’s Devin Schroder. He still finished the match, winning by technical fall, and went on to compete at the NCAA Championships. Despite having no healthy ACLs, Lee managed to win his third NCAA title. His determination kept him competing, but the injuries also affected his chances of reaching the Olympic stage.

After missing the opportunity to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, Lee finally made his Olympic debut in Paris in 2024. He won silver in the 57kg freestyle category, but his future remained uncertain. When asked about continuing his career, he said, “I don’t think I plan on retiring or anything, time for some side quests!” The possibility of competing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics remained open, but he had not made any commitment. Then, just three months before the 2026 Senior World Championships, Lee suffered his fourth ACL tear.

And now, at 28, the American appeared uncertain about how much longer he could continue wrestling. He revealed that surgery was likely and that he could not promise he would return next year. “I’m 28 years old, you know. I don’t got many more tears left in me. So, I don’t know if I’ll be back next year. I’ll probably have surgery,” he said. After everything his body had put him through, even Lee did not know what the next chapter of his wrestling career would look like.