Athlete Spotlight: Zain Retherford - Listen To The Olympics On iHeartRadio

If you are wondering how to listen to the Olympics, iHeartRadio has you covered. iHeartRadio is the exclusive audio home of NBC's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, so it is the only place to listen to the Olympics stream. The free iHeart app is where to go to listen to exclusive play-by-play action of Team USA. To celebrate, we are spotlighting some of the country's athletes that are vying for gold.

Zain Retherford, a 29-year-old freestyle wrestler from Benton, Pennsylvania, is set to represent Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Born and raised on a pumpkin farm, Retherford credits his early experiences with cultivating the winter squash for his mental fortitude and work ethic. Retherford told Olympics.com, "Growing up on a pumpkin farm taught me hard work, and it taught me not to take wrestling for granted because there is harder work out there." 

Retherford's wrestling career began in high school and continued at Pennsylvania State University, where he became a three-time NCAA national champion and a two-time Dan Hodge trophy winner in 2017 and 2018 for the best college wrestler in the country. Despite some early setbacks in his international career, Retherford's determination led him to a victory at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, where he beat Iran’s Amir Yazdani in the 70kg final.

Retherford's journey to the Olympics is a testament to his resilience and dedication. His coach once told him that wins and losses in wrestling are like a bouquet of flowers: beautiful in the moment, but eventually, they wither, and you have to pick some more. This mantra has helped Retherford maintain his motivation and balance throughout his career.

From exclusive NBC play-by-play action of Team USA to live hourly updates from the Games to original Summer Games podcasts, you can listen to the Olympics stream only on iHeartRadio. Find out more about how to listen.