Six wrestlers named to Team Canada ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics
Five of the six Canadians will make their Olympic debut in Paris.
Wrestling Canada Lutte and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced their six-person roster for the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday.
Amar Dhesi is the only one of the six with previous Olympic experience, making his debut at Tokyo 2020 and finishing 13th in the men’s 125kg freestyle event. Dhesi, 28, won the event at the 2022 Pan American Championships and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“Trying to find the words to express the feeling of representing my country, my community and my family at my second Olympic Games has been tough, but I keep coming back to the word grateful,” said Dhesi in a press release.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be in a position once again to have a chance to bring back an Olympic medal. I fell short in Tokyo but am prepared to be courageous and ready to bring the fight. We have a great team, and I’m looking forward to being in Paris!”
Team Canada’s wrestling team features several other world and continental champions.
Justina Di Stasio captured the gold medal in women’s 72kg at the 2018 World Wrestling Championships, as well as the gold medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in women’s 76kg.
Ana Godinez Gonzalez won gold in women’s 62kg at the 2021 U23 World Championships, as well as a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and gold medals at both the 2022 and 2023 Pan American Championships.
Alex Moore (who will compete in men’s freestyle 86kg), Linda Morais (women’s 68kg), and Hannah Taylor (women’s 57kg) make up the rest of Team Canada. As mentioned, everyone but Dhesi is making their Olympic debut in Paris this summer.
The first step in Olympic qualification for Canadian wrestlers was to win their weight class at the Canadian Team Trials, which took place from December 15-17, 2023 in Edmonton. Doing so booked their spot at the Pan American Qualifier in Mexico from February 28 to March 1, where five of the six athletes earned their Olympic quota spots. Morais was the only one who didn’t qualify in Mexico, instead earning her spot at the World Olympic Qualifier, held earlier this month in Türkiye.
Canada has won 17 Olympic wrestling medals since London 1908, including three gold medals – Erica Wiebe at Rio 2016, Carol Huynh at Beijing 2008, and Daniel Igali at Sydney 2000.
Wrestling at Paris 2024 will take place August 5 to August 11 at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.
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These people are phenomenal athletes. It's also cool how most fans now these days, just assume that the women are every bit as much a part of the show as the men are! The word 'people' (along with social evolution) makes this very apparent. CHEERS TO ALL 6 in Paris!!