Retherford withdraws from Olympic men’s freestyle 65 kg repechage as medical precaution

PARIS, France – Zain Retherford, the U.S. Olympian at 65 kg in men’s freestyle wrestling, has withdrawn from the competition in Paris as a medical precaution after sustaining a head injury during Saturday’s tournament.

Retherford competed in the preliminaries at 65 kg on Saturday, losing to 2022 World champion Rahman Amouzadkhali of Iran, 8-0.

When Amouzadkhali won his semifinal match on Saturday evening, Retherford became eligible to compete in repechage on Sunday. He was scheduled to face Islam Dudaev of Albania in the 11 a.m. session on Sunday.

Retherford suffered a concussion while training in preparation for the Olympic Games and had recovered prior to the competition. During his bout against Amouzadkhali, his injury symptoms returned. With support of his coaches and in consultation with medical staff, the decision was made for Retherford to withdraw from the tournament.

Following the decision, Retherford expressed his gratitude to the Team USA fans, coaches, support staff and his family for the continued support and encouragement during this time.

Retherford competed in his first Olympic Games in Paris. He was a 2023 World champion and 2022 World silver medalist. Retherford was a three-time NCAA champion for Penn State, and hails from Benton, Pa.