Spencer Lee had a challenging 2025 campaign, following a remarkable 2024 season that culminated in a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. After missing the podium at the World Championships in September, he recently faced another hurdle at the Real American Freestyle 03.
There, the Olympic medalist suffered an upset, getting pinned by Ukraine’s Andrii Yatsenko in the Men’s Bantamweight match.
Spencer Lee’s Reaction Regarding His 2025 Year After The Unexpected Loss at RAF 03
Lee was in control, leading the contest 9-4 at one point, and looked poised to earn the victory. However, Yatsenko executed a dramatic feet-to-back maneuver for the pin in the final moments of the bout. Meanwhile, some other big names who won at the RAF Night in Chicago on November 29 included Kennedy Blades, Bo Bassett, and Pat Downey.
Following his upset defeat, Lee made a remark about his season, expressing his disappointment with how it went for him, via an Instagram post.
He captioned the post, thanking the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and sponsor Rudis, saying, “2025 may not have been my year, but thank you to @hwc_1973 and @the_rudis for supporting me. I haven’t given up on striving to achieve my goals. #2026 Thanks to everyone who continue to support me on my journey!”.
Earlier in the season at the World Championships, Lee, who entered the tournament as a gold medal favorite, unexpectedly finished off the podium. His medal hopes were crushed in Croatia after a 14-3 quarter-final loss in the men’s freestyle 57kg to Arsen Harutyunyan, who ultimately bagged the bronze medal.
While 2025 may not be his year, he has already built an impressive resume as a three-time national champion and Pan American champion in his senior career, which he has earned mainly under the guidance of his coach, Tom Brands. In an interview a few months ago, Lee reflected on Brands’ influence and the coaching qualities he values most.
Lee Discusses Partnership with Iowa Wrestling Coach Tom Brands
Three-time NCAA Champion and former Iowa Hawkeye Spencer Lee is continuing his wrestling journey under the guidance of legendary coach Tom Brands, even after his college career ended.
Lee recently opened up about what makes Brands’ mentorship so effective, and it comes down to two key things: trust and transparency. In a conversation with FloSports’ Christian Pyles, he noted, “I just like the way he talks to you. He’s very vocal, very honest, just telling you exactly why you’re doing this and what you’re doing this for.”
“He’s open to discussion. ‘Hey, I’m super sore today.’ ‘Okay, we’ll change it up. Let’s do this today.’ Like he’s just like, you know, I think that being able to adapt workouts is very important as well as a coach.”, the American wrestler added.
Lee further mentions that Coach Brands actively tries to help him overcome mental obstacles by encouraging him to trust his talent and find balance. He added that Brands also repeatedly reminds him of his status as a world-class athlete, pushing him not to overthink and just relax and have fun.
Spence continues to go down the wrong path which is what is killing his career