US Olympic Medalist Breaks Down in Tears After Defying Fourth ACL Tear to Win First Senior World Title

“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.