BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA – Just two years after becoming Canada’s first U17 World Champion, Kaura Coles is once again bringing home gold from the world stage.

Competing at the 2026 U20 World Championships on August 19 in Bratislava, Slovakia, the Ailsa Craig, Ont., resident and London-Western Wrestling Club member captured her second age-group world title by defeating Venezuela’s Alexa Alvarez by fall in the 53kg gold medal match.

With the victory, Coles becomes the fifth Canadian to win a U20 World Championship.

Coles faced a challenging road to the final. She opened her tournament with a round of 16 matchup against American Taylor Whiting, earning the victory by fall after building a commanding 10-1 lead.

Next, Coles squared off with India’s Muskan in the quarterfinal. In a tightly contested match, Coles edged her opponent 9-7 to advance to the semifinal.

There, she faced another tough opponent in China’s Yuxuan Li. Once again, Coles came away with the victory, winning 14-7 on points to punch her ticket to the gold medal match.

After falling behind 2-0 in the final against Alvarez, Coles roared back to build a 10-2 lead. Then, just before the end of the first period, she secured the fall to claim the victory, gold medal and U20 World Championship.

The title adds another chapter to an already impressive international career for Coles, who won Canada’s first U17 World Championship in 2024. She is also Canada’s 53kg representative at the senior level and will have another opportunity to compete on the world stage at the Senior World Championships, October 24 to November 1 in Astana, Kazakhstan.