Zahid Valencia persevered to win his first world wrestling title, becoming at age 28 the U.S.’ oldest first-time world champion in 19 years.
Valencia beat Hayato Ishiguro of Japan 12-0 in Sunday’s 86kg freestyle final in Zagreb, Croatia. Full match video is here.
Valencia didn’t give up a point in five matches between Saturday and Sunday, outscoring opponents 49-0.
“Just wrestling how I’ve been wrestling, I just don’t think anyone can stop me,” Valencia said after beating two-time 92kg world champion Kamran Ghasempour of Iran in the semifinals.
The only other American men to go unscored on at an Olympics or worlds in the last 35 years were Kyle Dake (2018) and J’den Cox (2019). Unlike them, Valencia’s feat came in an Olympic weight class.
Valencia previously won bronze at the 2023 Worlds at 92kg (not an Olympic weight class), his only other senior global championship appearance.
“I’ve been faced with so much adversity throughout the years, but I feel like I was courageous enough to keep going,” he said.
Valencia lost to Paris Olympic bronze medalist Aaron Brooks at the 2024 Olympic Trials, to Tokyo Olympic champion David Taylor (now his coach) at trials for world teams in 2022 and 2024 and to four-time world champion Dake at trials for worlds in 2018.
“Wrestling is ... tough and tests you over and over,” he posted after the 2024 Olympic Trials. “But it hasn’t taken away my spirit for the sport and the driving passion that I have to be the best in the world. It’s really difficult knowing that the time is not now but I assure you that it will come!”
Valencia, a two-time NCAA champion at Arizona State, decided last October to move from Tempe to Oklahoma State to train under Taylor, who retired last year to become head coach of the Cowboys.
“It wasn’t an easy move,” said Valencia, who was beaten by Taylor for a world team spot a month before deciding on Stillwater. “I was very happy at ASU, but something needed to change, for sure. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. So I knew I had to get out of my comfort zone.”
Then in June, Valencia swept Dake to make the world team. It marked the first time that Dake had been beaten for an Olympic or world team spot since 2017.
“It’s been a big lifestyle change for him,” Taylor said before Sunday’s final. “Everyone knows Zahid’s got amazing ability. I think he’s starting to put everything together.”
Also Sunday, Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee was eliminated from the 57kg bracket after a 14-3 quarterfinal loss to Arsen Harutyunyan of Armenia.
At 61kg, American Jax Forrest lost his bronze-medal match to Assylzhan Yessengeldi of Kazakhstan 10-8.
USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender told Flowrestling that a complaint was filed to United World Wrestling regarding the finish of the match and that he was assured that it will be reviewed Monday.
Forrest, an 18-year-old high school senior, was the youngest U.S. men’s freestyle wrestler to compete at a senior world championships since 1974.
Americans Levi Haines and Trent Hidlay advanced to Monday’s gold-medal matches at 79kg and 92kg (not Olympic weight classes), respectively, in their first senior worlds.
