OTTAWA — Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is proud to announce the members of the 2024 U23 World Team, along with the 2024 Senior World Team – Non-Olympic Weight Categories. The teams will compete in their respective competitions back-to-back, beginning with the U23s Oct. 21-27, followed by the Seniors, Oct. 28-31, both in Tirana, Albania. With this being an Olympic year, only four senior weight classes (for Women’s Wrestling and Men’s Freestyle) will be contested at the Senior World Championships.
“Wrestling Canada Lutte is excited to be sending a strong and experienced team to both the U23 and Senior World Championships – Non-Olympic Weights Categories. Our U23 team is looking to put several athletes on the podium, and we are excited to watch three former world medalists hit the mats for the Senior World Championships,” said Chris Woodcroft, WCL High Performance Director.
On the U23 side, 11 members of the team captured a medal at the inaugural U23 Pan-American (Pan-Am) Championships earlier this year. Among those 11 was St. Catharines, Ontario’s Mia Friesen at 57kg. Friesen, who trains out of Brock Wrestling Club, took silver at this year’s Pan-Ams and has also captured silver at the U20 Pan-Ams in the past.
One female that will be pulling double duty is Swift Current, Saskatchewan’s Aleah Nickel. Nickel, from Edmonton Wrestling Club, won bronze at this year’s U23 Pan-Ams, bronze at the 2023 Senior Pan-Ams and was a gold medalist at the 2023 Francophone Games. Nickel will compete at 68kg at the U23 Championship and 72kg at the Senior event.
On the U23 men’s side, the busy 2024 season for Abbotsford, B.C.’s Jorawar Dhinsa will continue. This will be the sixth continental or world championship for the Guru Gobind Singh member. He has found success as well, after back-to-back top fives at the Senior Pan-Ams and Senior Olympic Games Qualifier (both GR 130kg), Dhinsa took silver medals at the U23 Pan-Ams (FS 125kg) and U20 Pan-Ams (GR 130kg). He will be competing in Albania in the men’s FS 125kg.
Among the senior women, one competitor to watch will be Surrey, B.C.’s Karla Godinez Gonzalez. Godinez Gonzalez, who train at the Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club, will compete at 55kg, a weight class she has done well at in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, she won a bronze medal at the World Championships, while in 2023 she just missed the podium, finishing fifth. She will once again be aiming for a medal in 2024.
As for the senior men, this will be the first World Championship where Anmore, B.C.’s Peiman Biabani will represent Canada. The former Iranian international recently completed his international sport transfer to be eligible to represent Canada. He is a former World Champion, capturing the 2016 junior title. He will compete at 70kg.
U23 World Team
Senior World Team
Accompanying the team are the coaching staff and team officials. The group includes (for the U23s) coaches Owen Dawkins, Frank Mensah, Marty Calder and Dave Spinney, team leader Kale Whitton, and team medical Tim Nanassy. Abbas Mohammadian, Joe Yee and Mike Drought will represent Canada at the competition as officials.
The coaches for the senior team will be Dave McKay, Marty Calder and Dave Spinney. Team leader will be Tamara Medwidsky and team medical Max Hanna. Curtis Leung will represent Canada as an official.
For complete tournament information, visit the tournament websites at: https://uww.org/event/u23-world-championships-0/results (U23) and https://uww.org/event/seniors-world-championships-non-olympic-weight-categories/results (Senior).
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
c/o House of Sport – RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1H 7X7