USA Men's Freestyle at World Wrestling Championships complete results: Spencer Lee faces shocking loss, Zahid Valencia clinches gold

The World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb were a spectacle, giving fans a taste of power-packed performances by the U.S. wrestlers. Olympic and world champions were in contention on the global stage, with the most formidable Spencer Lee headlining the 57kg category, Kyle Snyder in the 97kg, and Zahid Valencia competing for the 86kg title.

Spencer Lee, the reigning Zagreb Open champion and three-time NCAA titlist, received a bye and competed in the Round of 16, where he defeated North Macedonian Vladimir Egorov, but fell to Arsen Harutyunyan by technical falls in the quarterfinals, earning a ninth-place finish.

However, on the other hand, Zahid Valencia in the 86kg weight class was a force to be reckoned with. He bagged his first World title in a perfect run, recording five wins and a cumulative score of 49-0 over the event. Kyle Snyder, who already boasted three World titles under his belt, added another to his wall of fame by trouncing Iranian Amir Ali Azarpira in the 97 kg. He tied John Smith in second-place all-time for men’s freestyle World titles.

Levi Haines, the 2024 NCAA Champion, had a phenomenal run, reaching the finals but narrowly missing the title to Georgios Kougioumtsidis of Greece. Competing in the 65kg division was Real Woods, who surprisingly carried his momentum to the bronze medal contest and trounced Canada’s Peiman Biabani, 3-1, for the podium.

USA Men's Freestyle at World Wrestling Championships complete results

Snyder at the 2025 World Wrestling Championships - (Source: Getty)

Below is the complete list of US wrestlers who battled it out at the men's freestyle at the World Wrestling Championships.

Spencer Lee - 57kg - 9th

Received a bye in the Round of 32

Defeated Vladimir Egorov 10–0 in the Round of 16 (technical fall)

Fell to Arsen Harutyunyan 14–3 in the quarterfinals (technical fall)

Jax Forrest - 61kg - 5th

Defeated Sangboum Han (KOR) 10–0 in the Round of 32 (technical fall)

Defeated Takara Suda (JPN) 7–2 in the Round of 16.

Defeated Taiyrbek Zhumashbek (KGZ) 13–8 in the quarterfinals

Lost to Zavur Uguev (UWW) 10–3 in the semifinals

Lost to Assylzhan Yessengeldi (KAZ) 9–8 in the bronze-medal match

Real Woods - 65kg - Bronze

Bye in the Round of 32

Defeated Maxim Sacultan (MDA) 14–2 in the Round of 16

Lost to Rahman Mousa Amouzadkhalili (IRI) 12–1 in the quarterfinals

Defeated Ikromzhon Khadzhimurodov (KGZ) 10–0 in Repechage R1

Defeated Sujeet Sujeet (IND) 7–5 in Repechage R2

Defeated Peiman Bioukagha Biabani (CAN) 2–1 in the bronze-medal match

PJ Duke - 70kg - Didn't place

Defeated Shuang Chen (CHN) 11–0 in the Round of 32

Lost to Nurkozha Kaipanov (KAZ) 11–7 in the Round of 16

David Carr - 74kg - 5th

Defeated Rasul Shapiev (MKD) 9–5 in the Round of 32

Defeated Ramazan Eldarovitch Ramazanov (BUL) 12–0 in the Round of 16

Lost to Chermen Valiev (ALB) 7–5 in the quarterfinals

Defeated Tugsjargal Erdenebat (MGL) 10–0 in Repechage R1

Lost to Zaurbek Sidakov (UWW) 2–2 in the bronze-medal match

Levi Haines - 79kg -Silver

Defeated Khidir Kurban A Saipudinov (BRN) 5–2 in the Round of 32

Defeated Bumgue Seo (KOR) 10–0 in the Round of 16

Defeated Akhmed Usmanov (UWW) 3–2 in the quarterfinals

Defeated Suldkhuu Olonbayar (MGL) 4–1 in the semifinals

Lost to Georgios Kougioumtsidis (GRE) 3–2 in the finals by decision

Zahid Valencia - 86kg - Gold

Defeated Mukul Dahiya (IND) 10–0 in the Round of 32

Defeated Fateh Benferdjallah (ALG) 10–0 in the Round of 16

Defeated Ivars Samusonok (LAT) 10–0 in the quarterfinals

Defeated Kamran Ghorban Ghasempour (IRI) 7–0 in the semifinals

Defeated Hayato Ishiguro (JPN) 12–0 in the finals by technical fall

Trent Hidlay - 92kg - Gold

Defeated Redjep Hajdari (MKD) 11–1 in the Round of 32

Defeated Samuel Scherrer (SUI) 10–0 in the Round of 16

Defeated Miriani Maisuradze (GEO) 6–1 in the quarterfinals

Defeated Osman Nurmagomedov (AZE) 15–4 in the semifinals

Defeated Amanula Gadzhimagomedov (UWW) 13–10 in the finals by decision

Kyle Snyder - 97kg- Gold

Bye in the Round of 32

Defeated Cristian Jose Sarco Colmenarez (VEN) 10–0 in the Round of 16

Defeated Zbigniew Baranowski (POL) 5–0 in the quarterfinals

Defeated Arash Yoshida (Japan) 9–1 in the semifinals

Defeated Amirali Hamid Azarpira (IRI) 3–2 in the finals by decision

Wyatt Hendrickson - 125kg - DNP

Lost to Abdulla Kurbanov (UWW) 14–4 in the Round of 32 (Technical Fall)

About the author

Agnijeeta is a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She holds a Master’s degree in English and has worked as a school teacher, a blogger, a content writer and a sports writer over the past 5 years. A lover of high-adrenaline track and field events, she was also a sprinter during her school days.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone happens to be her favorite Olympian, and the athlete’s feat of breaking four records within 13 months inspires her, apart from the American's body language on and off the track. Grant Hackett swimming with a partially dysfunctional lung and winning gold in Athens is her all-time favorite Olympic moment.

Agnijeeta believes that deriving of unique angles from podcasts and interviews carried out by Olympics.com, along with hype-building of potential Olympic events on social media can help fill the coverage gap during the off season.

When not at her work desk, Agnijeeta likes to sing and paint. She also plays string instruments like guitar and ukulele and is an avid player of word puzzles.

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Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder