OTTAWA — Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is proud to announce the 20 athletes, coaches and support staff set to represent Canada at the 2024 U20 Pan-American (Pan-Am) Championships, July 11-13, in Lima, Peru.
“Team Canada is sending an experienced group of young international wrestlers to the U20 Pan American Wrestling Championships in Peru. We are pleased to see so many of our talented athletes with previous international experience, which bodes well for this championship. This is an important tournament as a stepping stone to the World Championships later this summer,” said Chris Woodcroft, WCL High Performance Director.
In addition to the international experience, the team also feature athletes who have achieved Pan-Am podium success. All team members will be looking to impress and put themselves in a solid position for the U20 World Championships, Sept. 2-8 in Pontevedra, Spain.
Competing as the only athlete in Greco-Roman wrestling will be Abbotsford, British Columbia’s Jorawar Dhinsa. Dhinsa, who will compete at 130kg, was the Canadian representative for the Pan-American Olympic Qualifiers earlier this year where he finished fifth. He also finished fifth at the Senior Pan-Am Championships at 130kg. In addition, he earned a silver medal at the 2024 U23 Pan-Ams in freestyle. Now, he’ll look to add a U20 medal to his 2024 accomplishments.
In men’s freestyle, another past medalist that will compete is Guelph, Ontario’s Nathan Hunyady. Hunyady, who will compete at 65kg, won silver at the 2023 U20 Pan-Am Championships. He will look to improve on the colour of his medal and top the podium in 2024.
On the women’s side, Abbotsford’s Rupinder Johal will aim for her second Pan-Am Championships medal. Johal captured gold at the 2022 U17 Pan-Ams at 73kg. Now, she will compete at 76kg looking for another gold.
U20 Pan-American Championships Team
Accompanying the team are the coaching staff and team officials. The group includes coaches Frank Mensah, Heather Sweezey and Gord Peavy; team leader Tamara Medwidsky; and athletic therapist Victoria Cleary. Jason Flinders, Michelle Flinders, Roger Pike and Joe Yee will represent Canada as officials.
For complete tournament information, visit the tournament website at: https://uww.org/event/u20-pan-american-championships/news
About Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL)
Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is the national sport governing body for Olympic style wrestling in Canada. Among its responsibilities, the association selects and prepares Canada’s teams that participate in international competitions including Continental Championships, World Championships and major multi-sport Games (i.e. Olympic Games). WCL works with provincial and territorial partners to deliver world-class programs and services to athletes, coaches, and officials to achieve podium success and grow the sport.
For more information:
Darren Matte
Marketing & Communications Manager
Tel: 416-768-6847
Email: dmatte@wrestling.ca