World Olympic Games Qualifier Istanbul- Wrestling Men's 57kg preview: Spencer Lee to headline the battle for Paris Olympics 2024

High-profile wrestlers from around the world such as Spencer Lee and Zain Retherford are all set to assemble at the Basaksehir Genclik ve Spor Tesisleri in Istanbul for the World Olympic Qualifier Games scheduled from May 9 to 12. The tournament is going to be a crucial one for wrestlers around the world as it is a major opportunity for them to book their berths for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The top three position holders from each of the weight categories in the event will earn their quotas for the greatest sporting event of the year in Paris. The tournament will feature wrestlers from different weight brackets.

However, the 57kg category will be the most interesting weight bracket in the tournament, especially with some of the most young and talented wrestlers in the circuit.

The first wrestler to look out for in this category will be none other than the 25-year-old wrestler from Colorado, Spencer Lee. The 2024 Pan American Championships gold medalist has been one of the most consistent performers in the category recently.

He also produced a superb performance at the US Olympic team trials during which he beat the likes of Thomas Gilman. At the back of such superb form, Lee will be backing himself to book his berth in the 57kg category of the Paris Olympics.

Lee will face some tough competition from Bulgaria's Georgi Vangelov who will be eying a place in the second Olympics of his career. Vangelov has had some promising performances over his career, be it in the Tokyo Olympics where he finished fifth in the 57kg category, or the European Championships in which he clinched three bronze medals.

Besides Spencer Lee and Georgi Vangelov, other competitors to watch out for in the category include Alireza Serlak ( 2021 World Championships silver medalist), Zanabazar Zandanbud (2022 World Championships bronze medalist), and Andrii Yetsenko (2017 World Championships bronze medalist).

Spencer Lee- All you need to know about the journey of the young IOWA Wrestler

Spencer Lee (left)

Spencer Lee has been a prominent name in the 57kg weight bracket in the American circuit. Coached by Tom Brands at the University of IOWA, Lee has dominated the wrestling mat irrespective of the stage and opponent.

From winning three NCAA and Big Ten gold medals at the collegiate level to performing superbly at the Pan American and US National Championships, the Colorado native has achieved a lot.

However, the next challenge (World Olympic Qualifier Games) that lies in front of the 25-year-old will be not only test his skill set to the extreme but also his character as he will face some of the most experienced and skilled wrestlers in the world.