PARIS — Spencer Lee brushed off Olympic nerves Thursday by carrying on conversations in French with tournament workers just before he took the mat inside Champ de Mars Arena. 

He told himself he was stepping into “the biggest tournament” of his life — not because he’s competing for international wrestling’s top prize but because that’s the approach Lee takes into every competition. 

“That’s how you prepare for everything — it’s always the same preparation,” he said. “Every tournament’s the biggest one because it’s the next one. I say that in a lot interviews and I’m sure that’s pretty annoying to hear, but it also helps you prepare for situations like this.”

Thursday was business as usual for the 25-year-old Iowa great in his first outing on the Olympic stage. Lee stayed out of harm’s way in an opening-round win against China’s Wanhao Zao before blitzing through Kyrgyzstan’s Bekzat Almaz Uulu and Uzbekistan’s Gulomjon Abduallaev with first-period technical superiority wins to reach the Olympic title bout at 57 kilograms. 

“I think I wrestled alright,” Lee said. “I think I was composed, wrestled smart. I think I let maybe some of the pressure of the Olympic Games get to me. I think I can open up a little bit more and be smart, but I ultimately think I wrestled three pretty diligent, smart matches.” 

Lee’s path to Paris included a 10-9 win against Zao in a wild second-round match at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Turkey. His win Thursday was much more controlled. 

“He’s dangerous (and) I kind of gave him a lot of respect because he blasted me in Turkey twice,” Lee said. “I was waiting for him to do something and he really didn’t.”

Lee spotted Almaz Uulu an early 2-0 lead before reeling off the next 12 points. He disposed of Abdullaev, who finished seventh in the Tokyo Olympics, with a barrage of takedowns and turns in a 14-4 win. 

“Solid basics,” said Lee’s coach, Tom Brands. “He got into some situations where you could get rattled and he persevered.” 

Lee’s reward is a Friday night battle against Japan’s Rei Higuchi, the most decorated wrestler in the bracket.

Lee was a 17-year-old training partner for Daniel Dennis at the Rio Olympics, where he watched Higuchi, then 20, drop a one-point match in the 57-kilogram gold medal bout. 

“He was a young, young lad and I know it hit him really hard to take silver and he pretty much didn’t compete for a long time,” Lee said. I’ve got a little bit of inside scoop — not to talk too much about his life — but I know he got married and his wife helped him a lot to get here. I know he’s really excited for one more as well, and I know he doesn’t want silver, but I don’t want silver, either, so we’re going to go out there and do our best to put on a show.”

Six years after taking silver in Rio, Higuchi returned to the Senior-level World stage and captured the 61-kilogram title in 2022. He cut down to 57 kilograms last year and lost to Stevan Micic in the World gold medal match. 

Higuchi ran through the top side of the bracket Thursday, registering technical superiority wins against Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz and India’s Aman Sehrawat in his two bouts. 

Lee has been on Higuchi’s radar for well over a year. When Lee took a trip last year to Japan, Higuchi reached out to him on social media in an attempt to connect.  

“He wanted to meet me,” Lee said, “and I would’ve loved to have met him, too, or even train with him.”

Instead, they’ll wrestle Friday night for an Olympic title.