4 UNB wrestlers compete to represent Canada at Olympics

Four athletes at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton are hoping to qualify for the Olympics at the beginning of March.

Charles Thoms, Shawn Daye-Finley, Alex Thoms and Alex Brown Theriault will all be competing at the Olympic qualifiers in Texas from March 4 to 6.

To qualify, the UNB wrestlers have to finish in the top two in their weight class.

"I feel that the athletes have been training hard and deserve to be there so they have to put it together on March 6 down in Texas," said UNB wrestling coach Don Ryan.

"Our program has grown from when I took over in 1992."

Competing on national stage

At that point their goals were to be able to compete regionally, but now UNB wrestlers are competing on a national stage.

"We have a really good base of athletes, so athletes wants to come here and train," said Ryan.

This is the first time UNB has had more than two athletes with the opportunity to compete at the highest level in the world.

Back in 2012, UNB had two athletes with the opportunity to qualify, but neither was able to make it.

"This is the next step at the ladder which is qualifying in the weight class," said Ryan.

"If and when we are successful in doing that then it's on to the next stage. Let's try and do the best that we can and reach the podium in Rio."

One of those wrestlers who had a chance to qualify back in 2012 was Shawn Daye-Finley, who wrestles in the 75 kg weight class. This year he is getting a second chance at going to the Olympics.

"I'm looking to put on a good show," said Daye-Finley.

"I'm older, I'm stronger, more experienced, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can pull off."

Looking for advantage

Daye-Finley said his chances are better this year, as the U.S. wrestler has already qualified in his weight class after finishing in the top eight at the last world championships.

"Statistically speaking, that gives me a little bit of an advantage that I'm looking forward to taking advantage of," said Daye-Finley.

One athlete who is no stranger to the big stage is Charles Thoms.

He represented Canada at the Pan Am Games in Toronto in 2015. Thoms finished fifth at the Pan Am Games, and said that experience is going to help him as he tries to qualify for the Olympics in Rio.

"I've seen a lot of these guys already so I know what to bring to to the table," said Thoms, who also goes by the nickname "The Fridge."

"I just want to do this for my family, and my parents. They're a real hard, blue collar family, so I'm just going to pack the lunch, stamp the time card, and get to work."

If any of the wrestlers are able to finish in the top two for their weight class, they will have just under five months to prepare for the 2016 Summer Olympics.