Justin Lester

Sport: Wrestling

Nation: United States of America

DOB: September 30, 1983

Career Highlights: Going by a different first name, Lester put aside the disappointment of four years ago by qualifying for his first Olympics. Lester, who went by the nickname “Harry” until recently, was upset at the 2008 Olympic trials, losing in the semifinals to teenager Jake Deitchler after being a gold-medal favorite for Beijing. He retired after the 2008 trials but returned to the sport and is again a favorite to medal in London. Lester, a specialist in the U.S. Army and member of its World Class Athlete program, is a two-time bronze medalist at the world championships (2006, 2007) who has also wrestled up a weight class at 74kg, winning the Sunkist Kids International Open last October. He’s had his most success at 66kg, however. Lester is a four-time winner of the Dave Schulz Memorial International and was the 2007 Pan American Games champion at that weight. He finished fifth at the most recent world championships. A four-time Ohio high school state champion at Cuyahoga Falls Valley Christian Academy, where he went 165-2, Lester attended Iowa State and Northern Michigan and graduated from the latter with degrees in history and geography. He was a second-team all-state performer in football in high school and has five siblings (three brothers, two sisters).

Olympic History: None