Busy day at Pairs 2024 Games with four Canadian wrestlers in action

PARIS— Summerside, Prince Edward Island’s Hannah Taylor came close to winning Canada’s first Olympic wrestling medal since 2016, when she faced American Helen Maroulis in the women’s 57kg bronze medal match, August 9 at the Champ-de-Mars arena.

Taylor, from Brock Wrestling Club, worked her way through the repechage to earn a shot at the medal. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as Maroulis, a former Olympic gold and bronze medalist, bested Taylor by fall to deny the Canadian the hardware. Still, after facing three tough opponents, Taylor did well during the entirety of the competition.

“I got the number one wrestler in my first match, I got the number eight in my second, and the number two in my third. That is obviously a good experience, but I wish I could have put on a performance in the last match,” said Taylor.

Taylor opened the competition on August 8, against Japan’s Tsugumi Sakurai, a three-time world champion. Sakurai got the better of Taylor, defeating her 6-1.  Sakurai went on to reach the gold medal match, meaning Taylor could go through the repechage to earn bronze. Taylor defeated Luisa Valverde 13-0 in the repechage match, to earn the medal opportunity against Maroulis.

A pair of Canadians also picked up wins on the day and despite quarterfinal losses, were both drawn back into the repechage. Surrey, British Columbia’s Amar Dhesi, earned a 2-1 win in his 125kg round of 16 match against Zhiwei Deng of China. Dhesi, Canada’s only returning Olympian in wrestling from Tokyo, advanced to face Amir Zare of Iran. Zare took the match 10-0. However, Zare would later go on to win his semifinal, meaning that Dhesi, Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club, will get pulled back into the repechage and have a chance at a bronze medal. Dhesi will face Aiaal Lazarev of Kyrgyzstan tomorrow.

“I had lost to China before, so it was nice to get that win back. The next match was a tough one, I knew it would be when I saw the draw. We had a battle in 2022, and I wanted to get batter after that, but he fought great. He tactically wrestled me smart, good play by him, he is a great wrestler,” said Dhesi. “I think I have developed as a wrestler and overall person since Tokyo. I don’t know if I felt better than Tokyo, but I felt good today and seeing my friends and family in the stands made me smile when I went out there.”

Another Canadian who will get to battle in the repechage looking to earn bronze will be Coquitlam, British Columbia’s Ana Godinez Gonzalez. Godinez Gonzalez opened the women’s 62kg event with a 5-2 win over France’s Ameline Douarre. Godinez Gonzalez, also from Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club, moved on to face Sakura Motoki of Japan. Motoki won the match 11-0, but also advanced to the final, giving Godinez Gonzalez new life. She will take on Romania’s Kriszta Incze in the repechage tomorrow.

“I felt confident and ready today, and felt ready for Japan, but obviously in the second round I got caught in something and once it goes, it goes. It is frustrating but I am confident she will pull me back into the tournament and I’ll go get that bronze.”

Also, in action on Day 14 of the Games was Montreal’s Alex Moore who got pulled back into a repechage after his 86kg round of 16 opponent, Bulgaria’s Magomed Ramazanov, advanced to the gold medal match. Moore, who trains at Montreal-NTC, lost 12-2 to Ramazanov on August 8, and squared off with Javrail Shapiev of Uzbekistan. Shapiev would go on to win this one 6-1, to eliminate Moore from medal contention.

“The Olympics have been an incredible experience and the support that I have received from back home has been awesome. I really wanted to come out here and give it my best and I felt that I had more in the tank. It is an amazing experience and no matter what I still have to walk out with my head held up high. Just to get here is pretty difficult.”

In addition to the repechage matches for Dhesi and Godinez Gonzalez, the final Canadian wrestler officially begins her campaign as Burnaby, British Columbia’s Justina Di Stasio will take on Yasemin Adar of Turkey in the women’s 76kg weight class. Action begins at 11 a.m. local. For complete information about Canada’s Olympic wrestling team and the competition, visit: https://wrestling.ca/paris-2024-hub/.