Zain Retherford

2026-27 Team USA Ranking: No. 1 at 70 kg/154 pounds

Years on Team USA: 7 (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-21, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2026-27) 

Residence: State College, Pa.

Regional Training Center: Nittany Lion WC 

Club: Titan Mercury WC

Personal Coach: Jake Varner

High School: Benton, Pa. (Benton High School)

Born: May 21, 1995

Olympic Teams

2024 Olympic Games (13th at 65 kg)

Senior World Teams 

2023 Senior Worlds (Gold at 70 kg), 2022 Senior Worlds (Silver at 70 kg), 2019 Senior Worlds (26th at 65 kg), 2017 Senior Worlds (11th at 65 kg)

Age-Group World Teams

2012 U17 Worlds (Gold at 63 kg)

Career Highlights 

• 2024 Olympian
• 2023 World champion
• Two-time World medalist
• Four-time Final X champion
• 2012 U17 World champion
• Three-time NCAA champion
• Two-time Dan Hodge Trophy Award winner

Career Biography

2026: Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion … Final X champion

2024: Placed 13th at Olympic Games in Paris, France … Bronze medalist at Olympic Qualification Tournament in Istanbul, Türkiye ... Olympic Team Trials champion

2023: Gold medalist at World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia … Gold medalist at Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina … Final X champion

2022: Silver medalist at World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia … Gold medalist at Zouhair Sghaier Tournament Ranking Series event in Tunis, Tunisia … Gold medalist at Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov Tournament in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria … Final X champion

2021: Placed third at Senior World Team Trials

2020: Bronze medalist at Matteo Pellicone Tournament Ranking Series event in Rome, Italy … Bronze medalist at Olympic Qualification Tournament in Ottawa, Canada

2019: Placed 26th at World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan … Member of bronze medal-winning World Cup team in Yakutsk, Russia … Final X champion … Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion … U.S. Open runner-up

2017: Placed 11th at World Championships in Paris, France … Gold medalist at Grand Prix of Spain … World Team Trials champion … Placed third at U.S. Open

2016: Placed third at U.S. Olympic Team Trials

2015: Placed fourth at Dave Schultz Memorial International … UWW Junior World Team Trials runner-up … UWW Junior Nationals runner-up

2014: FILA Junior World Team Trials runner-up … FILA Junior Nationals runner-up

2013: FILA Junior World Team Trials runner-up

2012: Gold medalist at U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan … FILA Cadet Nationals champion

College: Two-time Dan Hodge Trophy recipient, as the nation’s top college wrestler (2017, 2018) … Three-time NCAA champion for Penn State (2016, 2017, 2018) … Fifth at 2014 NCAA Championships … Three-time Big Ten champion (2016, 2017, 2018) … Graduated from Penn State in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in finance

High School: Two-time Pennsylvania state champion … Coached by Russ and Scotty Hughes … Posted a perfect 47-0 mark at Benton High School, closing his high school career with a 130-3 career record

USA Wrestling Age-Group: 2012 Junior Nationals champion … 2012 Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in Greco-Roman, third in freestyle … Placed fifth at 2011 Cadet Nationals

Personal: Son of Sarah and Allen Retherford … Has two sisters, Hannah and Mylee … Married Julianna DeLuca on Dec. 11, 2021 … Started wrestling at the age of 6 … Hobbies include reading, learning the guitar, and anything outdoors

Awards: 2017 and 2018 Dan Hodge Trophy Award winner, as the nation’s top collegiate wrestler

Instagram: @zaintrainusa

X: @zaintrainusa

Website: zainretherford.com