GOLD COAST, Australia – Team Canada wrestlers have captured more Commonwealth Games medals than any other country with 125 won since the inaugural Games in 1930. The 2018 Canadian team are well aware of personal goals and growing the proud legacy.

The twelve wrestlers just arrived in the 2018 athletes’ village in order to avoid distractions, and are clear that going for gold in Australia is part of a larger plan. For Olympic Champion and defending Commonwealth Games Champion Erica Wiebe, returning to the Games will mean returning to defend her title earned in 2014 in Scotland but also an opportunity to look forward to the future.

“I am working towards being a better athlete and wrestler every day in order to have my top performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” says the 76 kg wrestler. “I’m incredibly excited to compete at these major international games and be part of a strong overall team performance from Canadian Wrestling.”

Wrestling Canada Lutte, the national sport governing body for Olympic style wrestling in Canada, is proud of the 12 athletes selected to earn Commonwealth Games hardware starting April 12^th and is confident with this responsibility resting on their shoulders. With four Olympians, (Wiebe 76 kg, Jarvis 125 kg, Lappage 68 kg, Fazzari 62 kg), two senior world medalists (MacDonald 50 kg, Fazzari), three defending Commonwealth Games champions (Wiebe, Jarvis, Lappage) and two previous Commonwealth Games medalists (MacDonald 2010, Balfour 2014) the team is impressive.

“With 12 medals won in Glasgow, the event was a huge momentum-building opportunity for our team and we will be looking to repeat on the Gold Coast,” says Tamara Medwidsky, Executive Director, Wrestling Canada Lutte. “The accomplished athletes on this team can produce but also lead the strong new Commonwealth team members in order to continue the winning tradition, bring home medals and lead us towards 2020.”

Members of the Canadian wrestling team for 2018 Commonwealth Games team include:

Women

50 kg – Jessica MacDonald
53 kg – Diana Weicker
57 kg – Emily Schaefer
62 kg – Michelle Fazzari
68 kg – Danielle Lappage
76 kg – Erica Wiebe

Men

57 kg – Steven Takahashi
65 kg – Vince De Marinis
74 kg – Jevon Balfour 
86 kg – Alex Moore
97 kg – Jordan Steen
125 kg – Korey Jarvis

The strong nations of India and Nigeria are slated to be Canada’s biggest competition at the 2018 Commonwealth Games with competition starting April 12^th with competition for women’s 53 kg, women’s 76 kg, men’s 57 kg, and men’s 74 kg weight-classes. Coaching support for the event will be provided by Tonya Verbeek (St. Catharines, ON), Paul Ragusa (Calgary, AB), Marty Calder, (St. Catharines, ON) and Rob Moore, (Montreal, QC)

Visit https://watch.dazn.com/en-CA/sports, the exclusive broadcast partner of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games to sign up for a 30-day free trial to watch as much as possible.