NIAGARA, Ont. – The Canadian Wrestling Trials are a vital stop on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. From December 5 to 7 the top Canadian wrestlers will battle for a spot at the Pan-American Olympic Qualification Tournament at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara.

Canadian women wrestlers have captured six medals over the past four Olympics, and will be looking to return to the podium in 2020.

All entries and weight-classes are subject to change.

50 kg

Jessie MacDonald has been the top 50 kg wrestler at the past two Canadian Championships. The 34-year-old is a three-time World Championship medallist. She’ll be looking to fend-off recent U23 World Championship bronze medallist Jade Dufour and internationally experienced Natasha Fox to qualify for her first Olympics.

Full entry list

Dufour, Jade – Montreal WC

Dutchak, Katie – Saskatoon Wrestling Club

Eve, Augusta – Dinos Wrestling Club

Fox, Natasha – Saskatoon Wrestling Club

MacDonald, Jessie – Brock Wrestling Club

Parks, Madison – London-Western WC

Stinellis, Ligaya – Hamilton Wrestling Club

53 kg

2018 Senior World Championship bronze medallist Diana Weicker will be looking to maintain her spot on the national team. Her Brock teammate Jade Parsons and Black Bears wrestler Samantha Stewart will be wrestling to unseat the 30-year-old Weicker.

Full entry list

Chambers, Grace – Dinos Wrestling Club

Godinez Gonzalez, Karla – Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club

Jayd, Davis – Montreal WC

Parsons, Jade – Brock Wrestling Club

Stewart, Samantha – Black Bears WC

Weicker, Diana – Brock Wrestling Club

Wiebe, Amber – Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club

57 kg

The 57 kg weight-class is crowded with World Championship medallists. Linda Morais, 2019 Senior World Champion at 59 kg, appears to be moving down to compete at 57 kg. She’ll have to take on 2018 U23 World Champion Alexandria Town and 2019 U23 World Championship bronze medallist Hannah Taylor. Tianna Kennett is also coming off a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships at 59 kg.

Full entry list

Beauregard, Laurence – Montreal WC

Bellavia, Amy – Dinos Wrestling Club

Kennett, Tianna – Dinos Wrestling Club

Morais, Linda – Montreal WC

Rowbottom, Miki – Dinos Wrestling Club

Schaefer, Emily – Brock Wrestling Club

Steffler, Julie – Brock Wrestling Club

Taylor, Hannah – Brock Wrestling Club

Town, Alexandria – York Wrestling Club

62 kg

Olympian and 2017 World Championship bronze medallist Michelle Fazzari will be looking to make her return to the national team after sustaining an injury at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The 20-year-old Ana Godinez was the top finisher at the 2019 Canadian Championships, ahead of Jessica Brouillette and Braxton Stone-Papadopoulos.

Full entry list

Brouillette, Jessica – Brock Wrestling Club

Fazzari, Michelle – Brock Wrestling Club

Godinez Gonzalez, Ana Paula – Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club

Graham, Breanne – Dinos Wrestling Club

Pinsent, Savana – Vipers Wrestling Club

Stone-Papadopoulos, Braxton – Team Impact

Walls, Michalia – London-Western WC

68 kg

Only four athletes have entered the 68 kg weight-class. Olympian and 2018 World Championship bronze medallist Danielle Lappage is expected to take on Olivia Di Bacco. The two have gone head to head for the 68 kg national team spot for the past two years. Di Bacco won the 2018 Women’s Team Trials to take the 68 kg spot, but in 2019 Lappage won two straight matches in their Senior Worlds wrestle-off.

Danielle Lappage has won the 68 kg wrestle-off after defeating Olivia Di Bacco 2-1 and 11-1!

She’s earned a spot on the Senior World Championship team competing in Kazakhstan in September! pic.twitter.com/Ib6tN1jO07

— Wrestling Canada Lutte (@WrestlingCanada) June 26, 2019

Full entry list

Di Bacco, Olivia – Brock Wrestling Club

Johnson, Berit – Saskatoon Wrestling Club

Keefe, Veronica – Montreal WC

Lappage, Danielle – Dinos Wrestling Club

76 kg

Olympic Champion Erica Wiebe will likely have to faceoff against 72 kg 2018 World Champion Justina Di Stasio. Wiebe has gotten the better of Di Stasio in their recent matches. The two most recently wrestled in June at the 2019 Canada Cup, where Wiebe won 7-5.

Full entry list

Di Stasio, Justina – Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club

Ferguson, Leah – Keystone Wrestling Club

Follensbee, Taylor – Saskatoon Wrestling Club

Kuebeck, Shauna – Brock Wrestling Club

Slater, Dejah – Team Impact

Wiebe, Erica – Dinos Wrestling

Complete event information for the Canadian Wrestling Trials is available here. Follow Wrestling Canada Lutte on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for live updates.