Three past Senior World medalists and five Senior World Team members headline the 65 kg men’s freestyle field, in a weight class that is not yet qualified for the Olympic Games. As such, the Challenge Tournament finalists will both advance to the best-of-three finals series.

Zain Retherford, a 2023 World champion and 2022 World silver medalist at 70 kg, advances to the 65 kg Challenge Tournament semifinals because of his World medal. Retherford, who won three NCAA titles for host Penn State, made his first two Senior World Teams at 65 kg. He moved up to 70 kg after the Tokyo Olympic cycle. His last major event was the 2023 Senior Worlds, where he won the gold medal. Retherford brings a relentless attack to each match. Will he be in top form after returning to his old weight class?

Two-time World medalist James Green won two Senior World medals at 70 kg and returns from retirement this year. He won a bronze medal at the 2015 Senior Worlds in Las Vegas, and a silver medal at the 2017 Worlds in Paris, when the USA also won the team title. He was on five Senior World Teams, all at 70 kg. Green worked as USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Developmental Coach until he moved back to Nebraska to compete and coach. Green’s one major result at 65 kg since his return was fifth place at the Yasar Dogu in Turkey.

2022 World silver medalist Yianni Diakomihalis became the first U.S. men’s freestyle wrestler from this weight class (or corresponding weight when the weights were different) to win a World or Olympic medal in for many years. A four-time NCAA champion at Cornell, Diakomihalis was already a Senior-level star while in college. He made his first Senior World Team in 2021, then reached the World finals in 2022. He was defeated in 2023 Final X and is now No. 2 on the Senior National Team. An age-group star from New York, Diakomihalis won two U17 World titles.

Nick Lee comes into the Olympic Trials as No. 1 on the National Team, after he beat Diakomihalis in Final X. Wrestling in his first Senior Worlds in Serbia, Lee won his first three matches to reach the quarterfinals, where he lost to Rahman Amouzad of Iran. When Amouzad lost in the semifinals, Lee did not qualify for repechage, placing seventh. Lee also beat Diakomihalis in the Pan American Qualifier Wrestle-off in February. He was beaten in the semifinals of the Pan American Olympic Trials Qualifier in Mexico. Lee, a two-time NCAA champion for Penn State, was third at the Olympic Trials prior to the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Seth Gross, fifth in the 2022 World Championships at 61 kg, has moved up in weight for his Olympic run. Gross brings a wide-open style to every match. He was fourth in the December 2023 Senior Nationals at 65 kg after moving up in weight. An NCAA champion for South Dakota State who finished his career at Wisconsin, Gross made two age-group World Teams while in high school.

Nahshon Garrett made the 2018 Senior World Team after winning Final X but was injured in training and could not compete at the Senior Worlds. Garrett was second in Final X in 2023 at 61 kg. He won a silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games up at 65 kg. Garrett was an NCAA champion and four-time All-American for Cornell.

Joey McKenna, a runner-up in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has scored wins over most of the top wrestlers in this weight class over the years. He seeks his first Senior World or Olympic Team. McKenna has made multiple Senior National Teams, showing the ability to wrestle well in the big events. An All-American for Stanford and Ohio State, McKenna has an excellent age-group freestyle record, including World medals at the U20 and U23 levels.

Andrew Alirez won the 2023 NCAA Championships for Northern Colorado and has won two Senior national titles. His victory in the December 2023 Senior Nationals makes him a true contender heading into the Olympic Trials. Alec Pantaleo, a two-time age-group World Team member for the USA, qualified for the Trials with his 2024 Pan American Championships gold. He has won golds in five international tournaments and was a U.S. Open champion in 2022.

Beau Bartlett was a December 2023 Senior Nationals runner-up. He had a wild match with Nick Lee in the April 2023 U.S. Open, where Bartlett had his hand raised but the result was changed to Lee. Bartlett won a 2021 U20 World bronze medal, and was a 2024 NCAA runner-up for Penn State, where he lost in the finals to Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez. A three-time U.S. age-group World Team member, Mendez won a silver medal at the 2023 U23 World Championships.

Punching his ticket to the Olympic Trials by winning the Last Chance Qualifier was Matt Kolodzik, a 2022 U.S. Open runner-up and an All-American at Princeton. 2023 Bill Farrell International champion Kaleb Larkin, who still has his college career ahead of him at Arizona State, was a successful freestyler in high school. The high school star in this bracket is 2024 U17 World champion Ladarion Lockett, who has signed with Oklahoma State. Lockett has won USA Wrestling title at the U17 and U15 levels.

The Olympic Trials winner must place top three at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Istanbul in May to secure the Olympic quota spot.

While weight classes and final athlete registrations are not finalized until the completion of weigh-ins, this cast of 14 wrestlers is the expected 65 kg field for the Olympic Trials.

Fans looking to attend the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in person can still purchase all session tickets and single session tickets through Ticketmaster.

For those unable to grab a ticket, fear not—all the action from Bryce Jordan Center will be broadcast by NBC properties, April 19-20. The Friday and Saturday evening sessions will be televised on USA Network. NBC’s streaming platform Peacock will host live streams of each mat throughout the competition.

Complete brackets and live results for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be hosted on Trackwrestling.com. Fans can also follow @usawrestling on the various social media platforms for regular updates throughout the event.

For more information about the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, please visit usawrestlingevents.com.

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Wrestling

April 19-20, Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.

Event Schedule

Friday, April 19

10 a.m. (ET) – Challenge tournament prelims, quarterfinals, consolations

6:30 p.m. (ET) – Challenge tournament semifinals, finals

Saturday, April 20

10 a.m. (ET) – Championship series round one (all weights), championship series round two (GR 60-67-77 kg, MFS 57-65 kg), challenge tournament consolations, true third (if necessary)

6:30 p.m. (ET) –Championship series round two, championship series round three (if necessary)

Men’s freestyle 65 kg

Challenge Tournament participants

Automatic berth in Challenge semifinals -– Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC)

2023 World Team member – Nick Lee (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC)

2022 World Team member – Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC)

2021 World Team member 70 kg – James Green (Nebraska WTC/TMWC)

2022 World Team member 61 kg – Seth Gross (Sunkist Kids)

2018 World Final Trials champion – Nahshon Garrett (Lehigh Valley WC/TMWC)

2023 U17 World champion 71 kg – Ladarion Lockett (Cowboy WC)

2023 Bill Farrell champion – Kaleb Larkin (Sunkist Kids)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals champion – Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado RTC/TMWC)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals runner-up – Beau Bartlett (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals third place – Joseph McKenna (Pennsylvania RTC/TMWC)

2024 NCAA Div. I champion at 141 pounds - Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC)

2024 Pan American Championships champion at 70 kg – Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC/TMWC)

2024 Final Olympic Trials Qualifier champion – Matthew Kolodzik (New Jersey RTC/New York AC)

Olympic Trials Preview: Retherford, Green, Diakomihalis, Lee among top stars at 65 kg

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