The

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

has been practiced in Canada for more than a century, with the first amateur wrestling championships being held at

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Argonaut Rowing Club The Argonaut Rowing Club is an amateur rowing club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The club was founded in 1872. The current junior head coach is Connor Elsdon. In the past, the club fielded teams in ice hockey and football, and the football team ...

in 1901. The sport continued to grow during the 20th century and by 1969, the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association was formed. Today the same organization is called Wrestling Canada Lutte, and is the national governing body for Olympic style wrestling in Canada. The organization's purpose is to encourage and develop the widest participation and highest proficiency in Olympic wrestling in Canada.

Canada Summer Games

Wrestling is a sport officially included in the

Canada Summer Games The Canada Games (french: Jeux du Canada) is a multi-sport event held every two years, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. They represent the highest level of national competition for Canadian athletes. Two ...

program. Initially the program considered wrestling a winter sport and was featured at the first

Canada Games The Canada Games (french: Jeux du Canada) is a multi-sport event held every two years, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. They represent the highest level of national competition for Canadian athletes. Two ...

in 1967. In 2005, women's freestyle wrestling was added to the program. Wrestling will be a part of the 2022 Canada Summer Games, 'Niagara Games', August 6–21, 2022, which will be hosted in the Niagara Region of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada. The wrestling events will take place at the new Canada Games Park. The following Canadian wrestlers have competed in the

: * Chris Rinke (1979) *

Sunny Dhinsa Sunny Dhinsa (born May 20, 1993) is a Canadian professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. He is best known for his time with the WWE, where he performed under the ring name Akam. After signing with WWE in 2014, he has since teamed with ...

(2009) * Justina Di Stasio (2009) * Linda Morais (2009) * Michelle Fazzari (2005) * David Tremblay (2005) *

Darthe Capellan Darthe Capellan (born 27 April 1996) is a Canadian freestyle wrestler. He won one of the bronze medals in the men's 57 kg event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England. At the 2019 Pan American Games held in Lima, Peru, he won ...

(2013)

Notables in Canadian wrestling

Olympic medalists

* Aubert Côté – 1908 Summer Olympics bronze medalist at bantamweight in men's freestyle wrestling *

Carol Huynh Carol Huynh (; born 16 November 1980) is a retired Canadian freestyle wrestler. Huynh was the first gold medalist for Canada in women's wrestling and was the first gold medallist for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She is also the 2010 Co ...

– Two-time Olympic medalist, winning gold in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and bronze in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

in women's freestyle wrestling. Four-time

World In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

medalist in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2010. *

Daniel Igali Baraladei Daniel Igali (born February 3, 1974 in Eniwari, Bayelsa State, Nigeria) is a Canadian freestyle wrestler who is an Olympic gold medallist. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia. Wrestling career As captain of the Nigerian wrestling tea ...

– 2000 Olympic gold medalist and 1999 World Champion in men's freestyle wrestling * Maurice Letchford – 1928 Summer Olympics bronze medalist at welterweight in men's freestyle wrestling * Daniel MacDonald – 1932 Summer Olympics silver medalist at welterweight in men's freestyle wrestling * Robert Molle – 1984 Olympic silver medalist at 100+ kg in men's freestyle wrestling * Christopher Rinke – 1984 Olympic bronze medalist at 82 kg in men's freestyle wrestling * Joe Schleimer – 1936 Summer Olympics bronze medalist and

1934 British Empire Games The 1934 British Empire Games were the second edition of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games, held in England, from 4–11 August 1934. The host city was London, with the main venue at Wembley Park, although the track cycling events we ...

gold medalist at welterweight in men's freestyle wrestling *

Guivi Sissaouri Guivi "Gia" Sissaouri ( ka, გივი სისაური, tr, born April 15, 1971) is a Canadian freestyle wrestler who lives and works in Canada. Biography Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sissaouri began wrestling at age ten. Sissaouri won the ...

– 2001 World Champion and Olympic silver medalist at

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in men's freestyle wrestling, five total World and Olympic level medals * Donald Stockton – 1928 Summer Olympics silver medalist at middleweight in men's freestyle wrestling * Jeff Thue – 1992 Olympic silver medalist and 1991 World bronze medalist at 130 kg in men's freestyle wrestling *

Jim Trifunov James Trifunov (July 18, 1903 – June 27, 1993) was a Canadian freestyle sport wrestler who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics, in the 1928 Summer Olympics, and in the 1932 Summer Olympics. His parents Mr. and Mrs. Rade Trifun ...

– 1928 Summer Olympics bronze medalist and

1930 British Empire Games The 1930 British Empire Games were the inaugural edition of what now is known as the Commonwealth Games, and were held in Hamilton, Ontario, from 16 to 23 August 1930. The games were organized by ''Hamilton Spectator'' sportswriter Bobby Robinso ...

gold medalist at bantamweight in men's freestyle wrestling *

Tonya Verbeek Tonya Lynn Verbeek (born 14 August 1977) is a Canadian freestyle wrestler. Verbeek was the first woman to win a wrestling medal for Canada when she took silver in 2004, she added to that with a bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics and a second si ...

– Three-time Olympic medalist, winning two silver and a bronze medal at the 2004,

and

Olympics in women's freestyle wrestling. Three-time

medalist in 2005, 2009 and 2011. *

Erica Wiebe Erica Elizabeth Wiebe (born June 13, 1989) is a wrestler competing for Canada. She is an Olympic champion in women's 75 kg freestyle, winning gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She was the third Canadian champion ever in wrestling at the Oly ...

– 2016 Olympic gold medalist at 75 kg in women's freestyle wrestling

Gallery

Justina Di Stasio at 2015 Pan Am Games.jpg, Justina Di Stasio Carol Huynh.jpg,

⁣ Bob Molle (2011).jpg, Robert Molle Linda Morais.JPG, Linda Morais Jim Trifunov.jpg,

London 2012 Canadian Olympic Female Freestyle Wrestling Team.jpg,

(Verbeek pictured far left)

Popular culture

In 2012, a 45-minute TV movie/documentary was released by Vanwestfilm Productions about the development of women's wrestling in Canada called, ''Wrestling with Attitude''. The film focused on two female Canadian wrestlers in particular – former

Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located ...

wrestler

, who begins training with the

Calgary Dinos The Calgary Dinos are the athletic teams that represent the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. They were known as the "Dinosaurs" but usually referred to as the "Dinos" until 1999, when the name was officially shortened. Some of its venue ...

at the

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...

, and Junior World wrestling champion Danielle Lappage, originally from

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

and was then training at Simon Fraser University in her first year as a senior wrestler.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Wrestling Canada Lutte
(official website)
Trailer for ''Wrestling with Attitude''
a 2012 documentary about the development women's wrestling in Canada. (VanWestFilm Productions on YouTube)