Dake Makes History as Team USA Dominates World Championships; Lee, Haines and Hidlay Advance to Gold Medal Matches
ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Team USA continued its impressive run at the 2026 Senior World Championships on Saturday,October 31, delivering a historic performance highlighted by Kyle Dake's fifth World championship, three American bronze medalists and three more U.S. wrestlers advancing to Sunday's gold medal matches.
Dake, 35, cemented his place among the greatest American freestyle wrestlers of all time with a hard-fought 3-2 victoryover Azerbaijan's Arsenii Dzhioev at 86 kilograms. Meanwhile, Marcus Blaze, Zain Retherford and Wyatt Hendricksonsecured bronze medals, giving the United States six medals through the first two groups of men's freestyle competition.
The Americans weren't finished.
Spencer Lee, Levi Haines and Trent Hidlay each delivered clutch semifinal performances to earn spots in Sunday'schampionship matches, while James Green moved into the repechage at 74 kilograms with an opportunity to wrestle forbronze.
With four weight classes remaining, the United States leads the men's freestyle team standings with 120 points, 15 ahead of second-place Russia.
Kyle Dake Joins American Wrestling's Elite With Fifth World Championship
The headline performance of the evening belonged to Kyle Dake, who added another chapter to an already remarkableinternational career.
Dake defeated Dzhioev 3-2 in the 86-kilogram final, scoring the match's only takedown early in the second period beforerelying on his defensive positioning, composure and experience to protect the lead.
The victory marked Dake's fifth Senior World championship across three weight classes and made him the oldestAmerican to win a Senior World title.
His championship résumé is extraordinary:
2018 – World champion at 79 kg
2019 – World champion at 79 kg
2021 – World champion at 74 kg
2022 – World champion at 74 kg
2023 – World silver medalist at 74 kg
2026 – World champion at 86 kg
Dake also owns two Olympic bronze medals, earned at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
His fifth World title places him alongside Kyle Snyder for the second-most World championships by an Americanwrestler. Only Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray, with six each, have won more.
Dake also surpassed Bruce Baumgartner's record as the oldest American to win a Senior World championship.Baumgartner established the previous mark at 34 years and nine months in 1995. Dake accomplished the feat at 35 yearsand eight months.
Following his victory, Dake credited the preparation and competitive environment surrounding him at the Nittany LionWrestling Club.
Discussing the decisive takedown, Dake explained the importance of movement, angles and creating opportunities againsta difficult opponent.
"That was a perfect one if you ask me," Dake said. "Just lateral movement, trying to get corners, hitting angles."
Dake also emphasized the importance of the training environment that continues to push him.
"Just conditioning is just something that we, you know, just a part of who we are. You know, you have to be able to go outand wrestle hard for six minutes and wrestle the way that you want to."
Despite his accomplishments, Dake's competitive drive remains evident. He discussed the importance of stayingcomposed through adversity and maintaining confidence in difficult situations.
"Coach Cael always tells us so what," Dake explained. "You know, you got something going on, so what? Doesn't matter.Just go out and compete the way you want to compete and go get the job done."
That mentality helped deliver another gold medal for one of America's most accomplished wrestlers.
Marcus Blaze Earns First Senior World Medal, But Wants More
At just 61 kilograms, Marcus Blaze continued his rapid rise on the international stage, earning his first Senior World medal with a bronze-medal victory over Kazakhstan's Assyl Aitakyn, 4-2.
The Penn State standout finished the tournament with four victories and one defeat.
Blaze opened with a fall over Türkiye's Emrah Ormanoglu, followed by a 10-0 technical fall against Moldova's LeomidColesnic.
His only loss came against eventual World champion Ahmad Mohammadnezhadjavan of Iran, who edged Blaze 3-2 in thequarterfinal round.
Blaze responded impressively.
He defeated India's Nikhil 9-1 before securing bronze with a 4-2 decision over Aitakyn in front of the home crowd inKazakhstan.
Although the medal represented a significant accomplishment, Blaze made it clear afterward that he wasn't completelysatisfied with his performance.
"Bittersweet," Blaze said when asked about his emotions. "It's nice to medal, but I don't really judge my performances offof medals, or wins or losses. I judge my performance off of performance and how I actually wrestled."
Blaze acknowledged that he believed he had the ability to compete for the World championship.
"I felt I could be in that gold medal match and kind of just dominate, to be honest, but God had a different plan and mytrust is in him."
The quarterfinal loss to Iran was particularly disappointing for the young American.
"I would say mostly that quarterfinal match against Iran. I really would want to get that one back," Blaze explained. "Youdon't want to wrestle with full regret, and I kind of did that."
He also identified areas of his wrestling that need improvement.
"I think I need to drop my hands more. I need to take more shots, all that stuff."
For Blaze, the experience provided valuable lessons that he believes will help him take the next step toward becoming aWorld champion.
"I'm happy with the result but not happy with how I performed," he said.
Despite the disappointment, Blaze expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent the United States and compete onthe biggest international stage.
He also enjoyed the team experience in Astana, highlighting the relationships and camaraderie among the athletes fromthe Penn State training environment.
"It's awesome. These trips are good team bonding and kind of joins our RTC and our athletes even more."
Blaze also had an interesting perspective on competing in front of a hostile crowd.
When asked whether the Kazakhstan fans cheering against him affected his performance, he compared the atmosphere tocompeting for Penn State.
"We've been in arenas like that as Penn State. Nobody really likes Penn State too much. So I'm kind of used to the fansrooting against us."
At only 61 kilograms, Blaze has already established himself as an international medalist. His comments suggest the bronze medal is more of a starting point than a destination.
Zain Retherford Returns to the World Podium
Zain Retherford added another World medal to his collection with a bronze-medal performance at 70 kilograms.
Retherford defeated Canada's Lachlan McNeil 4-0 in the bronze-medal match, demonstrating the form that has made himone of America's most accomplished freestyle wrestlers.
The victory gave Retherford a complete collection of World championship medals:
2023 – World gold
2022 – World silver
2026 – World bronze
However, the road back to the international podium was not an easy one.
Retherford admitted that after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, he wasn't sure whether he would continue competing.
"Honestly, after Paris, I didn't know if I'd be done competing or kind of what that meant," Retherford said.
It took time to regain his confidence and desire to compete at the highest level.
He eventually decided to return to competition in May, beginning what he described as an enjoyable six-month journeyback into international wrestling.
"Took a long time to get my head back to where I wanted it to be and thankfully I've been able to think I can competeagain."
Retherford was particularly appreciative of the people who supported his return, including his wife and the wrestling community at Penn State.
"Just most of all, I'm just grateful for the amazing community that I have around me. Just incredible people at Penn State, and Nitney Wrestling Club."
He also credited his training partners for helping prepare him for the World Championships, specifically mentioning PJDuke, Jaden James and Tyler Kasak, along with Blaze.
"It's the best preparation you can get," Retherford said.
Although he wanted to reach the championship final, Retherford was encouraged by his performance and the progress hemade throughout the tournament.
"I felt the best I felt all year."
Looking ahead, Retherford indicated that he expects to continue wrestling as long as his health allows.
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep going," he said. "As long as I'm healthy."
For a wrestler who wasn't certain he would compete again after Paris, returning to the World podium represents a significant accomplishment.
Wyatt Hendrickson Captures First Senior World Medal
Wyatt Hendrickson continued his progression on the international stage, earning his first Senior World medal with abronze-medal victory at 125 kilograms.
The former Air Force standout and current Oklahoma State wrestler defeated India's Singh Jaspooran by technical fall,10-0, to secure third place.
Hendrickson had an impressive tournament, winning four of his five matches.
He opened with an 11-0 technical fall against Bahrain's Shamil Sharipov before defeating China's Buheeerdun 11-1 andGermany's Mohsen Siyar 12-2.
His only defeat came against eventual World champion Amir Zare of Iran, who handed Hendrickson a 10-0 technical-fallloss.
Rather than allowing that setback to define his tournament, Hendrickson regrouped and returned to the mat with aconvincing performance for bronze.
Following the match, Hendrickson was proud of earning his first Senior World medal but made it clear that his ultimateobjective remains winning a World championship.
"First World medal feels good, but my goal wasn't to come here and be a medalist. My goal was to be a World champion."
Hendrickson acknowledged that he was excited during the bronze-medal match and perhaps didn't always follow hiscoach's instructions.
"Coach said to stay relaxed and don't rush it, but sometimes I don't listen. I was excited. What can I say?"
His assessment of the tournament reflected the mindset of an athlete who recognizes the importance of progress butrefuses to become comfortable with anything less than the top of the podium.
"I'm very happy, very grateful. I'm happy, just not satisfied."
Hendrickson also discussed the significant improvements he made in preparation for this year's championships.
Compared with his previous international experience, he felt much more prepared heading into the tournament.
Last year, he believed the acclimation camp was spent trying to make up for lost preparation time. This time, he arrived in Kazakhstan with the work already completed.
"I was able to actually use it as acclimating because the work had been done," Hendrickson explained.
He credited Oklahoma State, USA Wrestling and his support team for helping him develop both physically and mentally.
He specifically mentioned the importance of nutrition, coaching and mental preparation, including the work he has donewith Dr. Blake.
"What's the most strongest muscle in your body? It's really your brain," Hendrickson said. "Dr. Blake's been reallyhelping me make those next steps, make those big jumps."
Hendrickson's bronze medal represents another step forward in his international career, but his ambitions remainconsiderably higher.
"I'm going to go back to the drawing table, do some more hand fighting drills," he said. "I can continue to evolve my wrestling and do better next year."
Spencer Lee Pins His Way Into First Senior World Final
Spencer Lee continued his dominant tournament at 57 kilograms, securing his first Senior World championship medalopportunity with a semifinal victory over Azerbaijan's European champion Islam Bazarganov.
Lee entered the match having already recorded three technical-fall victories, defeating opponents from Guatemala, Iranand Russia.
His semifinal matchup proved more challenging.
Lee established an early 3-0 advantage before Bazarganov scored with a trapped-arm gutwrench in the second period.
The Azerbaijani wrestler continued turning Lee, but the American eventually countered the situation, stepped over andsecured the fall at 4:17.
The victory guaranteed Lee his first Senior World medal and gave him another opportunity to add to his impressiveinternational résumé following his Olympic silver medal in 2024.
Lee will face Mexico's Roman Bravo Young in Sunday's gold-medal match.
The matchup carries an interesting storyline for American wrestling fans.
Bravo Young is a Tucson, Arizona, native and a two-time NCAA champion at Penn State. Lee holds a 2-0 record againstBravo Young at the Senior level.
However, the World championship final presents a different stage and another opportunity for both wrestlers to establishthemselves internationally.
A victory would give Lee his first Senior World championship.
Levi Haines Finds a Way in Dramatic Semifinal Victory
Levi Haines once again demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, earning a place in his second consecutiveSenior World championship final with a dramatic 3-3 criteria victory over Mongolia's Suldkhuu Olonbayar.
The matchup was a rematch of last year's 79-kilogram World semifinal, which Haines also won.
This time, however, the American had to overcome a late deficit.
Trailing 3-1 in the final minute, Haines continued attacking and eventually found the opening he needed.
With just 39 seconds remaining, Haines secured a single-leg takedown and finished with a backside trip to take the leadon criteria.
The victory sends him back to the World championship final, where he will face Iran's Mohammad Nokhodilarimi.
Nokhodilarimi is a five-time World medalist, presenting Haines with one of the toughest challenges of his internationalcareer.
Haines reached the final last year before settling for silver against Greece's Georgios Kougioumtsidis. He subsequentlyrebounded to win a U23 World championship.
Now he has another opportunity to capture his first Senior World gold medal.
Trent Hidlay Sets Up Championship Rematch
Trent Hidlay delivered one of the most exciting matches of the semifinals, defeating Iran's returning World bronzemedalist Amirhossein Firouzpourbandpei 11-8 at 92 kilograms.
The match featured explosive exchanges and significant scoring momentum.
Firouzpourbandpei appeared to have control early, but Hidlay produced a crucial scoring sequence in the final 10 secondsof the first period.
Trailing 8-2, Hidlay scored a takedown followed by a two-lace combination to collect six points and tie the match 8-8 atthe break.
The North Carolina State standout continued his momentum in the second period, adding another takedown and a step-outto secure the 11-8 victory.
Hidlay will now face Russia's Amanula Gadzhimagomedov in a rematch of last year's World championship final.
That contest was an instant classic, with Hidlay emerging victorious 13-10.
Sunday presents an opportunity for Hidlay to repeat as World champion and once again defeat one of the toughestwrestlers in the division.
James Green Gets Another Opportunity Through Repechage
James Green remains in contention for a World medal after moving into the repechage at 74 kilograms.
Green opened the tournament with a 5-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan's Orozbek Toktomambetov before falling to Russia'sInalbek Sheriev by 10-0 technical fall.
With Sheriev advancing to the championship final, Green received another opportunity through the repechage.
His first opponent will be determined by the match between Poland's Kamil Rybicki and Armenia's Narek Harutyunyan.
Green needs two victories to reach the bronze-medal match.
A medal would add to his impressive international résumé, which already includes two Senior World medals.
The United States have already secured six individual medals through the first two groups:
Kyle Dake – Gold, 86 kg
Marcus Blaze – Bronze, 61 kg
Zain Retherford – Bronze, 70 kg
Wyatt Hendrickson – Bronze, 125 kg
Kyle Snyder – Gold, 97 kg
With three additional Americans competing for gold and Green still alive in the repechage, the United States is inexcellent position to pursue the men's freestyle team championship.
The strength of the American training environment has also been evident throughout the competition, particularly amongathletes connected to the Penn State wrestling program and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
Dake highlighted that environment when discussing the daily competition and preparation that takes place among histeammates.
The combination of established veterans and emerging stars has given the United States an impressive mix of experience,depth and championship potential.
Sunday's Championship Schedule: Three Americans Wrestling for Gold
The 2026 Senior World Championships conclude Sunday at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan, with the final group ofmen's freestyle repechage and medal matches.
Action begins at 4:30 p.m. local time, which is 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States.
Gold Medal Matches — Men's Freestyle Group Three
Weight
Championship matchup
57 kg
Spencer Lee (USA) vs. Roman Bravo Young (Mexico)
74 kg
Inalbek Sheriev (Russia) vs. Nurkozha Kaipanov (Kazakhstan)
79 kg
Levi Haines (USA) vs. Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran)
92 kg
Trent Hidlay (USA) vs. Amanula Gadzhimagomedov (Russia)
James Green will also compete in the 74-kilogram repechage, needing two victories to reach the bronze-medal match.
Editorial note: This article is based on the supplied USA Wrestling competition reports and athlete interviews. Interview quotations have been lightly cleaned for readability while preserving the wrestlers' original meaning.
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