Josef Rau

2025-26 Team USA Ranking: No. 2 at 97 kg/213.8 pounds

Years on Team USA: 8 (2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-21, 2021-22, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26)

Residence: Astoria, N.Y.

Regional Training Center: Illinois RTC

Club: Titan Mercury WC

Personal Coach: Bryan Medlin

High School: Chicago, Ill. (St. Patrick High School)

Born: March 17, 1991

Olympic Teams

2024 Olympic Games (Ninth at 97 kg)

Senior World Teams 

2023 Senior Worlds (19th at 97 kg), 2019 Senior Worlds (16th at 87 kg), 2014 Senior Worlds (23rd at 80 kg)

Career Highlights 

• 2024 Olympian
• Three-time Senior World Team member
• Two-time Pan American champion
• Two-time Final X champion
• Three-time U.S. Open champion

Career Biography

2025: U.S. Open runner-up

2024: Placed ninth at 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France … Bronze medalist at Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria … Placed fourth at Bill Farrell Memorial International … Placed fifth at Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial in Budapest, Hungary … U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion

2023: Placed 19th at World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia … Gold medalist at Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina … Gold medalist at Bill Farrell Memorial International … Placed fifth at Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile, Chile … Senior Nationals runner-up … Final X champion … U.S. Open champion

2022: U.S. Open runner-up

2021: Placed fifth at Matteo Pellicone Tournament Ranking Series event in Rome, Italy … Placed fifth at Grand Prix of Zagreb … U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up 

2020: Gold medalist at Olympic Qualification Tournament in Ottawa, Canada … Gold medalist at Pan American Championships in Ottawa, Canada … Placed fifth at Matteo Pellicone Tournament Ranking Series event in Rome, Italy … Senior Nationals runner-up

2019: Placed 16th at World Championships in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan … Placed fifth at Pan American Games in Lima, Peru … Bronze medalist at Dave Schultz Memorial International, placed fourth in freestyle … Final X champion … U.S. Open champion

2018: Silver medalist at Haparanda Cup in Sweden … Bronze medalist at Bill Farrell Memorial International, gold medalist in freestyle … Gold medalist at Lavrikov in Saint Petersburg, Russia … Placed fourth at Senior World Team Trials in freestyle … U.S. Open runner-up

2017: Senior Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier champion in freestyle … U.S. Open runner-up

2016: Silver medalist at Grand Prix of Zagreb in Croatia … Bronze medalist at Olympic Qualification Tournament … U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion

2015: Gold medalist at Pan American Championships in Santiago de Chile, Chile … Gold medalist at Zagreb Open in Croatia … Gold medalist at Bill Farrell Memorial International … Silver medalist at Dave Schultz Memorial International … Bronze medalist at Grand Prix of Spain … Senior Nationals champion … Placed fourth at U.S. Senior Nationals

2014: Placed 23rd at World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan … Senior World Team Trials Phase II champion … University Nationals champion

2013: Silver medalist at New York Athletic Club International ... Placed fourth at U.S. World Team Trials … Placed fourth at U.S. Open

2012: Bronze medalist at Canada Cup in Guelph, Canada in freestyle … Placed third at University World Team Trials … Placed fourth at University Nationals

College: 2013 NCAA Division III Nationals champion for Elmhurst, where he was coached by past NCAA champion Steve Marianetti … Three-time All-American … Four-time conference champion … Two-time place winner at Midlands Championships

High School: Illinois state qualifier … two-time conference champion

USA Wrestling Age-Group: 2014 Northern Plains Regional champion … 2009 Junior Nationals champion … Placed fourth at 2008 Central Regionals

Personal: Son of Rick and Lisa Rau … Has two brothers, Ray and Jack, and one sister, Julie … Hobbies include skateboarding, singing, stand-up comedy, traveling, reading, anything outdoors, drinking coffee, eating new foods

Awards: CCIW Wrestler of the Year … Elmhurst College Athlete of the Year

Instagram: @raustler