OTTAWA — Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is proud to announce the athletes, coaches, and support staff representing Canada at the 2026 U23 Pan-American (Pan-Am) Wrestling Championships, taking place June 11-13 in Lima, Peru.

“Wrestling Canada Lutte is excited to see one of our youngest U23 teams test themselves against some of the top athletes in the Pan American region,” said Chris Woodcroft, WCL High Performance Director. “For many members of this team, this will be their first opportunity to represent Canada internationally, making this a significant step in their development. Providing athletes with meaningful international competition experience is essential to their long-term growth, and building a deeper pool of internationally tested athletes will be a key factor in strengthening our performances in the years ahead.”

The men’s side will be led by Abbotsford’s Jorawar Dhinsa. Dhinsa, from Burnaby Mountain WC, has already competed at a Pan-Am Championships in 2026, having represented Canada at 125kg at the Senior Pan-Am Championships in May. During that competition, Dhinsa had a strong showing that resulted in a silver medal. He has also previously earned a silver at the U23 Pan-Ams in 2024. He will look to turn his success at the senior level into a medal at this year’s U23s.

On the women’s side, a name to watch will be Calgary’s Gabby Cross. Cross, who trains out of Dinos WC, will be making her third appearance at the U23 Pan-Ams. She has previously medalled in both of her appearances having captured bronze in 2024 and silver in 2025. Now, she will look to win the last medal that has eluded her a gold in 2026 as she competes at 57kg.

2026 Canadian U23 Pan-Am Championships Team

Accompanying the team are the coaching staff and team officials. The group includes coaches Dan Oliver and Nishan Randhawa; team leader Chris Woodcroft; and physiotherapist Jean-Paul Raphael. Mike Drought will represent Canada as an official.

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