Penn State's Zain Retherford Nearly Retired From Wrestling. Now, He's Chasing the Olympics

Retherford, a three-time NCAA champ with the Nittany Lions, heads to Istanbul to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Former Penn State wrestler Zain Retherford in action at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in State College. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Zain Retherford was ready to begin his new life. The three-time NCAA wrestling champ at Penn State went to Nittany Lion Wrestling Club coach Cody Sanderson last November and said, "You know what? I think I'm done." The following month, Retherford accepted a part-time role with a New York investment firm. He had won a world title in 2023, was tired of the weight-cutting process and at peace with his decision. Mostly.

But in early 2024, the NLWC staff presented Retherford with a weight-management plan to prepare him for a run at the 2024 Summer Olympics. After wrestling internationally at 70 kg, Retherford could descend to 65 kg in time for the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in State College in April. And Retherford couldn't let go of his Olympic hopes just yet. So he accepted, won the Olympic Trials title at 65 kg and is one tournament away from earning a trip to Paris.

"I originally had accepted the job in New York City, and we were going to move there in January, and I just had a pulling on my heart," Retherford said at the Trials in April. "I couldn't explain it. I told my wife, 'I've got to talk to the [people at his new company], and I said, I still want to compete. What does that look like, how can we make this work?' They were super-flexible, so yeah, January was when I made up my mind. Let's do this. Let's have some fun."

Four months later, Retherford is tantalizing close to wrestling in his first Olympics. He won the 65 kg men's freestyle weight class at the U.S. Olympic Trials but must compete in one more event to earn a trip to Paris. Retherford will wrestle in a two-day qualifying event in Istanbul on May 9-10 to qualify the United States, and thus himself, in the 65 kg weight class. If he finishes top-three, Retherford qualifies for his first Olympic games.

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Retherford, a two-time Hodge Trophy winner at Penn State, has been wrestling freestyle for six years since winning his last NCAA title in 2018. He broke through last season by winning the Pan-American Championships and his first world title. Retherford won both championships at 70 kg, a weight class that doesn't exist among the six Olympic freestyle categories.

To compete for the U.S. at the Olympics, Retherford faced a decision. He could move up to the 74 kg weight class or cut to 65. That meant competing 11 pounds lighter than he had in 2023. Retherford was reluctant. He had not wrestled at 65 kg for a while and was frustrated at how his body felt when he did. That prompted thoughts of retirement. Then the NLWC's coaching and training devised a strategy for Retherford to maintain his fitness and strength at 65 kg.

"[Cody Sanderson] showed me a gameplan of, 'Hey, if you still have the itch, it can be done. You can make weight,'" Retherford said. "And I put my trust into that."

After sweeping NLWC teammate Nick Lee in the best-of-three championship series, Retherford said the weight plan changed his outlook. "As weird as it is, I enjoyed the weight cut," he said. "It was hard but it was fun. I feel like I experienced a lot through it, and I’m grateful for it."

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Retherford in December joined ABR Dynamic Funds as a part-time sales representative. In a news release announcing Retherford's hire, the firm said, "knowing that Zain has been able to work towards his MBA degree at Penn State University, while simultaneously training and competing for a World Gold Medal, gives us confidence that he will be able to focus on realizing his Olympic dreams while also preparing for a career in finance."

Before going full-time in finance, Retherford is taking one more shot at the Olympics.

"I’m just giving my all to this," the 28-year-old Retherford said at the Trials. "I didn’t know if this would be my last time competing today. I'm just grateful for every opportunity I have and I'm making the most of it."

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.