PONTEVEDRA, SPAIN – Canadian wrestlers were in Spain, Oct. 17-23 for the 2022 U23 World Championships. Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) sent a team of 19 athletes who were all looking to have a positive showing on the international stage. Coquitlam, British Columbia’s Ana Godinez Gonzalez headlined the Canadian results by capturing another medal at the tournament, earning a bronze in the Women’s 62kg weight class.

The colour of medal was not what Godinez Gonzalez was hoping for as she entered the event as the defending champion and was aiming to make it back-to-back golds. Still, she took positives from the result and remains confident moving forward. “I am not satisfied with my results, but consistency is what I need right now. I am proud to bring Canada home another world medal and will be bringing more home in the future!”

Godinez Gonzalez, who trains out of Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club, opened the tournament with a 9-0 points win over Irina Kuznetsova of Kazakhstan in the qualification round. Next, she defeated Yagmur Cakmak of Turkey, by superiority 14-4, in the quarterfinal. That put her in a semifinal with Japan’s Nonoka Ozaki. Ozaki had already won both the U20 and Senior World Championship in 2022 and proved to be too much for Godinez Gonzalez defeating her by superiority. Still, Godinez Gonzalez would get a chance at a bronze medal. In the bronze medal match, she squared off with Paulina Danisz of Poland. This match was all Godinez Gonzalez as she won by superiority 11-0 to secure the medal.

Other results on the women’s side were Montreal’s Virginie Kaze Gascon fifth at 55kg; Swift Current, Saskatchewan’s Aleah Nickel eighth at 65kg; Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Katie Mulkay 10^th at 68kg; Thorold, Ontario’s Brianna Fraser 10^th at 72kg; Mississauga, Ontario’s Kirti Saxena 11^th at 57kg; London, Ontario’s Amelia Frisbee 12^th at 76kg; Edmonton’s Taylor McPherson 13th at 53kg; and Welland, Ontario’s Samantha Romano 22^nd at 50kg.

In the Men’s freestyle competition, Canada picked up three top 10 finishes. Leading the way was Komoka, Ontario’s Adam Thomson who placed eighth at 79kg. Thomson, who trains out of the London-Western Wrestling Club, earned wins in the qualification round and round of 16 before being defeated in the quarterfinal.  Also earning top 10 honours were London’s Daniel Coles who was ninth at 65kg and Brampton, Ontario’s Tejvir Boal who finished 10^th at 92kg.

As for the rest of the men, St-Lazare, Quebec’s Jason Luneau was 13^th at 61kg; Saskatoon’s Jackson Serna was 13^th at 125kg; Kitchener, Ontario’s Callum Knox was 15^th at 97kg; Calgary’s Emmanuel Olapade was 16^th at 70kg; Flin Flon, Manitoba’s Hunter Lee was 17^th at 86kg; Calgary’s Logan Sloan was 18^th at 57kg; and Mississauga’s Patrik Leder was 18^th at 74kg.

For complete results and to watch any matches visit: https://uww.org/event/world-championships-63?section=results