OTTAWA — Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is pleased to announce the athletes and support staff who will represent Canada at the 2026 U20 Pan-American (Pan-Am) Championships, July 9-11, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The squad will feature 18 athletes competing in women’s wrestling and men’s freestyle.

“Wrestling Canada Lutte is sending an experienced junior squad to the Pan-American Championships in Brazil this week,” said Chris Woodcroft, WCL High Performance Director.  “The Canadian U20 Wrestling Championships were one of the strongest in recent memory, and the athletes that came out on top will now vie for podium finishes against the very best in North, Central and South America.  The athletes will also be competing to earn a berth on the World Team through their international performance.”

Among the women on the team is Calgary’s Mackenzie Cayer. Cayer, from Dinos WC, captured a silver medal last year at the U20 Pan-Ams in Peru. She went on to represent Canada at the 2025 U20 World Championships in Bulgaria. Now, she will get another crack at Pan-Am gold when she competes at 68kg.

As for the men, they too feature a returning silver medallist in Abbotsford, British Columbia’s Tejvir Dhinsa. Last year’s medal made it back-to-back silvers at the event for the Burnaby Mountain WC member, who also finished second in 2024. Dhinsa is also a past U17 Pan-Am bronze medallist and has represented Canada at three World Championships, two at the U20 level and one at the U17 level. With his two silver medals, Dhinsa will be hoping to claim the elusive gold when he takes to the mat at 86kg.

2026 U20 Pan-American Championships Team

Accompanying the team are the coaching staff and team officials. The group includes event coaches Shane Bradley and Clete Hanson, personal coach Dave Spinney, team leader Jolene Wong and physiotherapist Surinder Budwal. Adam Baxter and Shelby Trembley will represent Canada as officials.

For complete tournament information, visit the tournament site. Matches can be streamed on UWW+.