ACAPULCO, MEXICO – Five Canadian wrestlers are heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games after qualifying February 29 and March 1 at the Pan-American (Pan-Am) Olympic Qualifiers in Acapulco, Mexico. Heading to the games are: Summerside, P.E.I.’s Hannah Taylor, Coquitlam, B.C.’s Ana Godinez Gonzalez, Burnaby, B.C.’s Justina Di Stasio, Montreal’s Alex Moore and Surrey, B.C.’s Amar Dhesi.
Hannah Taylor
Taylor, from Brock Wrestling Club, was one of two women who also competed last week at the Pan-Am Championships, aiming to improve her seeding at 57kg. She did that and entered the Qualifiers as the three seed. In her quarter final match, she earned a win by superiority, 10-0, over Jacqueline Hernandez Gonzalez (HON).
That matched her up with Alma Valencia Escoto (MEX) in the semi final. In the match, Taylor opened an early lead and despite Valencia Escoto cutting into it, she was able to see it through, picking up the win 8-4 and becoming the first Canadian wrestler to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
“This feels incredible!” said Taylor “When I was younger, I used to play the Olympic game on my PlayStation, I used to watch the Olympics and I didn’t care what sport it was going to be, I knew my dream was to go to the Olympics. After my first practice, my wrestling coach said, ‘you are going to go to the Olympics.’ So, I stuck with it because my dream was to go to the Olympics and he thought I could. Now that this moment is finally here, I can’t even put it into words.”
Ana Godinez Gonzalez
Godinez Gonzalez, from Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club, was the other competitor on the women’s side that elected to compete at the Pan-Am Championships the week before to improve her seed at 62kg. At the Championships, she matched up for the gold medal against Kayla Miracle (USA), a former two-time world silver medalist. While Godinez Gonzalez lost on criteria, she still did enough to get herself the second seed for the Qualifier.
At the Qualifier, she started strong with a 10-0 win by superiority over Sierra Brown Ton (JAM). That put her in a rematch from the week before with Lais Nunes (BRA), who Godinez Gonzalez defeated in the Championships semi final. This time it was another tight contest. Trailing 3-0, Godinez Gonzalez scored a trio of points from a push out, caution and passivity to even the score and lead on criteria. She would hang on to that advantage for the win 3-3, earning her place in Paris.
“Honestly I have no words, I am really happy, but it is a feeling I can’t explain, I have never felt this accomplished,” said Godinez Gonzalez. “It (the final match) was stressful, I just made sure I was focused and was able to pull through.”
Justina Di Stasio
Finally, the last female competitor to earn a spot was Justina Di Stasio, from Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club. The former World, Pan-Am Games and Commonwealth Games Champion was just missing one major Games on her resume and now she will have it as she heads to Paris.
Di Stasio entered the event as the number one seed at 76kg and looked to pick up the two wins needed for qualification. She opened the tournament against Saidy Chavez Figueroa (HON) and made quick work, winning by fall. She advanced to face Linda Machuca (ARG) in the semi final. While it was tied at the break, Di Stasio would move ahead for good in the second period winning 8-4 and securing her spot on Canada’s Olympic team.
“This feels amazing!” said Di Stasio. “I have been working at this for so long and wanted to be in this position for so long. I said to myself I would do any thing to win today and throughout training I said I would do anything to get to the Olympics. So it feels really good to be going in the right direction.”
Alex Moore
Moore, from the Montreal National Training Centre, opened the tournament against Jorge Llano (ARG) in a quarter final match up. Moore dispatched of Llano by superiority 11-0 to move on to the semi final. That match saw him take on Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (VEN) with the winner advancing to the Games.
In the semi final match, it was a tight contest with Moore taking the lead thanks to a pair of passivity points. In the final minute of the match, Moore scored a takedown and converted into a pin to win the match and earn his spot in Paris.
“This is unbelievable. I have been through so much to get to this point,” said Moore. “Four years ago, I tore my ACL. Then, I needed shoulder surgery a week before my wrestle-off. Even this year, I broke my hand and was in a cast for four weeks. That is just the tip of the iceberg. To overcome everything and be here, it feels amazing. I always thought that I would make the Olympics, but to face all the adversity I have, to stick with it and now I’m going to the Olympics, I’m an Olympian! It is the greatest feeling in the world.”
Amar Dhesi
The other Canadian male to clinch a spot in Paris was Amar Dhesi. Dhesi, who trains out of Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club, was Canada’s lone returning Olympian from the 2021 Games in Tokyo. He started the competition with a qualification round match against Aaron Johnson (JAM). Dhesi made quick work of Johnson, winning 11-0. That moved Dhesi on to face Jose Dias Robertti (VEN) in the quarter final. Dhesi again won by superiority, this time by a score of 13-2.
With that, Dhesi advanced to the semi final where a win over Ibrain Torres Espinosa (CUB) would earn him his second Olympic appearance. Dhesi put on a great performance in the match, earning the win by superiority 11-0 to punch his ticket to Paris.
“It feels great to qualify for my second Games. I want to give a special thanks to my family, friends and especially coaches for getting me here. It may have been short, with just three years since the last Olympics, but it still felt like a long journey to me. Now, I am glad I get to do it again. Let’s go get an Olympic medal!” said Dhesi.
More results
Three other women competed at the Qualifiers. Embrun, Ontario’s Genevieve Morrison, won her quarter final match, 5-2, in the 50kg weight class, against Mariana Rojas Dias (VEN). She advanced to a semi final match against Yusneylis Guzman Lopez (CUB). Unfortunately for Morrison, she would lose the match 6-2. Surrey, B.C.’s Karla Godinez Gonzalez lost in the quarter final to Laura Herin Avila (CUB) 8-2. Meanwhile, Montreal’s Linda Morais fell in her quarter final to Antonieta Carabello Hernandez (VEN).
On the men’s side, North York, Ontario’s Lachlan McNeil had a good tournament scoring a qualification round win 10-0 over Sixto Miguel Auccapina Pedragas (PER) and then defeating Josua Kramer (VEN) 12-1 in the quarter final. However, in the semi final, he faced Austin Gomez (MEX) who ended McNiel’s run. Gomez took the match 6-3, eliminating McNeil. In other action, Coquitlam, B.C.’s Darthe Capellan lost in his 57kg quarter final match to Oscar Tigreros Urbano (COL), Abbotsford, B.C.’s Nishan Randhawa lost in the 97kg quarter final to Arturo Silot Torres (CUB) and Montreal’s Stone Lewis was defeated in the 74kg qualification round by Sonny Santiago (PUR).
On Feb. 28, the men’s Greco-Roman wrestling was contested. Canada sent a team of four competitors all looking to earn qualification. Despite a good effort, none of the men managed to earn qualification. Montreal’s John Yeats was victorious in his qualification round match at 77kg but was defeated in the quarter final by Yosvanys Pena Flores (CUB), Abbotsford, B.C.’s Jorawar Dhinsa dropped his two round robin matches to Cohlton Schultz (USA) and Eduard Soghomonyan (BRA), London, Ontario’s Keeyan Trotman lost in the qualification round at 60kg to Alexis Rodriguez Hernandez (MEX), and London’s Gavin Eldridge lost his qualification round match to Elsi Martinez Ordonez (MEX) at 67kg.
Those that did not qualify will have one more chance at a final World Olympic Qualifier, May 9-12, in Istanbul, Turkiye.
For complete tournament results visit the tournament site: https://uww.org/event/seniors-pan-american-og-qualifier/results.
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.
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