Haines and Lee Capture First Senior World Titles as Team USA Claims Men’s Freestyle Crown

ASTANA, Kazakhstan – Team USA put the finishing touches on a historic performance at the 2026 Senior World Championships, as Levi Haines (79 kg) and Spencer Lee (57 kg) captured their first Senior World titles and helped lead the United States to its sixth men’s freestyle team championship.

The two Americans took different paths to the top of the podium, but both delivered championship performances that highlighted the talent, determination and depth of American wrestling.

For Lee, however, the gold medal meant considerably more than another championship. It represented years of perseverance, repeated injuries and uncertainty about whether he would ever get another opportunity to compete for a World title.

Just three months before the tournament, Lee suffered the fourth torn ACL of his career. At one point, he believed his wrestling career was over and even considered giving up his spot on the World team. Instead, he made the decision to compete, despite not having wrestled for 16 weeks and admitting he wasn't sure whether he could even take a shot.

"I wasn't even ... I was going to concede the spot," Lee explained during his emotional post-match interview. "And I go, you know, I thought about it before, and I said I'll just go win it anyways. So, here I am."

Lee made good on that promise, winning all five of his matches by pin or technical superiority. He capped his remarkable run with a 10-0 technical fall over Mexico's Roman Bravo Young in just 26 seconds to become a Senior World champion for the first time.

The emotion poured out during Lee's interview as he reflected on everything he had endured to reach the top of the podium. At 28 years old, he acknowledged that his wrestling future remains uncertain and that surgery could be next. "I'm 28 years old, you know. I don't got many more years left in me," Lee said. "I don't know if I'll be back next year. I'll probably have surgery."

Lee also admitted that his preparation was far from normal, explaining that he hadn't wrestled in more than three months and wasn't even sure how his body would respond once he stepped onto the international stage. "I trained so hard. I haven't wrestled in 16 freaking weeks, man. I came here. I didn't know if I could shoot, you know?" he said.

Despite the circumstances, Lee was determined to silence those who had questioned his ability to win at the highest level. Reflecting on the criticism he has faced throughout his career, he said, "The whole world tell me that, you know, I'm overrated, you know. So I'm just glad I was able to win one, right?"

One of the most dramatic moments of Lee's tournament came in the semifinals, where he found himself in serious trouble against an explosive opponent. Despite competing with a torn ACL, Lee managed to turn a dangerous position into a pinning opportunity. He explained that his opponent had nearly secured the turn, but made the mistake of continuing to pursue more points. "I knew he was going exactly for that move because he did it to me the year before and he got it, man. He had me dead to rights," Lee recalled.

Lee then explained the mentality that helped him escape and ultimately turn the match around, revealing that he has always believed in making opponents pay when they become too aggressive on top. "You can turn me once, but I guess that was only the second time I've ever been turned. But you can ask my teammates. If you turn me one time and you get greedy, I'll pin you." He added that his opponent would have been better off conceding the points rather than continuing to pursue the turn.

The victory was particularly meaningful because Lee said he had battled torn ACLs throughout his entire career. When he suffered the latest injury, he initially thought there was no way he would receive another opportunity. "The day I tore it, man, I looked at my coaches and I was like, 'It's over. My career is over,'" Lee said.

He also addressed the criticism directed toward him and his coaching staff following his injuries, explaining that he ultimately decided to put everything on the line regardless of what people might say if he came up short. After discussing his situation with his coaches, Lee made his intentions clear: "I'm going to go out and put it on the line, hurt or not, and I'm going to go win." His emotional reaction after the championship reflected just how much that promise meant to him.

Haines moves from silver to gold

While Lee's victory was an emotional story of overcoming adversity, Haines' championship represented the next step in a steady progression toward becoming one of the world's best wrestlers.

After earning silver at last year's World Championships, the Penn State standout took the final step, defeating five-time World medalist Mohammad Nokhodilarimi of Iran, 4-3, in the 79 kg gold-medal match.

Following the victory, Haines expressed gratitude for the people who helped him reach the championship stage, making it clear that the accomplishment extended well beyond his individual performance. "Just feel really grateful. It's been a lot of people helped me get to this point," Haines said. "I'm the one who gets to compete, but there's a lot more people that you guys obviously don't get to see, and they're the ones that do the work. I just blessed to be able to go out."

When discussing the final, Haines felt he executed much of his game plan but acknowledged there were areas where he could have been more aggressive. "Thought I followed the game plan well. Wish I would have got some more attacks in there," he said, describing his opponent as a "real grippy guy" who made it difficult to break away from the hand fight.

Haines also discussed a position in which he secured a single leg but wasn't able to finish the sequence as cleanly as he would have liked. "Yeah, I got a little greedy, I guess. I was like, 'Ah, this is no problem.' But obviously he's really good," Haines said. He acknowledged that improving his positioning on top would be an area of emphasis moving forward, recognizing the experience and ability of his opponent.

The difference between silver and gold over the past two years, according to Haines, came down to maintaining consistency and continuing to improve. "Just very similar to what it did last year, honestly. Just continuing to be consistent. I think consistency is huge," he explained. Haines added that he focused on identifying areas where he needed to improve and steadily working to get better.

He also credited lessons learned from last year's World final, particularly the importance of being more aggressive rather than getting caught up in hand fighting. "This weekend I did a much better job than I have in the past dropping my hands and just going, getting it, instead of getting kind of caught up in that hand fight," Haines said. He credited the competition he faces throughout the college season at Penn State and in the Big Ten for helping prepare him for the international level, explaining that wrestling high-level opponents almost every weekend provides valuable experience for tournaments like the World Championships.

Haines also discussed the influence of fellow American World champions Kyle Dake and Kyle Snyder. He specifically credited Dake for playing a major role in his development, explaining that they train together regularly and that Dake has been generous with his time. "Kyle Dake and I get to train a lot together," Haines said. "Kyle Dake is a huge part of my training and why I'm even standing up here today." He continued by expressing appreciation for Dake's willingness to help him prepare, adding, "He's super willing to give me his time, and it's not always easy to wrestle me, especially at practice. So I'm really thankful for him."

Finally, Haines reflected on being part of a U.S. team that delivered one of the strongest performances in American wrestling history. He described the team as a group of competitors who were ready to go, saying, "Top to bottom, it's a bunch of killers. So it's a lot of fun to just be around guys that are ready to compete." Haines also recognized how special it was to be part of a team that could be remembered among the best American teams ever assembled.

A historic performance for Team USA

Haines and Lee were part of a remarkable tournament for the United States. Team USA finished with five champions and nine total medalists, both U.S. records, while every American placed in the top 10. The United States captured the men's freestyle team championship with 194 points, finishing ahead of Russia, which scored 185.

Roman Bravo Young also added an interesting American connection to Lee's championship run. Although he represented Mexico internationally because of his Mexican lineage, Bravo Young is an American wrestler and a two-time NCAA national champion at Penn State. His appearance in the 57 kg final against Lee made for an intriguing matchup between two accomplished American collegiate wrestlers representing different countries.

Meanwhile, Kyle Snyder (97 kg) and Kyle Dake (86 kg) added to their legacies by capturing their fifth World titles. Dake also became the oldest American to win a World championship at age 35.

For Haines, the championship was the reward for consistency and continued improvement after last year's silver medal. For Lee, it was something much deeper: a moment he wasn't sure he would ever experience again after four ACL tears and years of battling injuries.

Two Americans stood atop the Senior World podium, each with a different story, but both helping deliver a historic championship for the United States. In Astana, Haines reached the summit through steady progression, while Lee reminded the wrestling world that his determination could not be measured by the condition of his knees.