5 Canadian wrestlers book Olympic spots for Paris 2024

Canadian wrestlers Hannah Taylor, Ana Godinez Gonzalez, Justina Di Stasio, Alex Moore and Amar Dhesi have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics after their performances on Thursday at the Pan Am Olympic qualifiers in Acapulco, Mexico.

Taylor, from Summerside, P.E.I., became the first Canadian to qualify an Olympic spot in the women's 57 kilogram division. She first dominated her quarterfinal match, defeating Jacqueline Hernandez Gonzalez of Honduras 10-0 and earning the win by superiority. 

Entering the tournament as the third seed, Taylor faced Alma Valencia Escoto in the final, and despite a late charge from the Mexican, she prevailed 8-4 in the end. 

"This feels incredible!" Taylor said in a release. "When I was younger, I used to play the Olympic game on my PlayStation, I used to watch the Olympics and I didn't care what sport it was going to be, I knew my dream was to go to the Olympics.

"After my first practice, my wrestling coach said, 'you are going to go to the Olympics.' So, I stuck with it because my dream was to go to the Olympics and he thought I could. Now that this moment is finally here, I can't even put it into words."

Moore, Dhesi punch tickets to Paris

Moore, of Montreal, cruised to the semifinals after a comfortable 11-0 victory over Argentina's Jorge Llano, setting a showdown with Veezuela's Pedro Ceballos Fuentes with a berth to the Paris Games at stake.

Moore scored a takedown in the final minute of the tight match, converting into a pin to secure the result and his Olympic qualification.

"Four years ago, I tore my ACL. Then, I needed shoulder surgery a week before my wrestle-off. Even this year, I broke my hand and was in a cast for four weeks," Moore said afterward.

"I always thought that I would make the Olympics, but to face all the adversity I have, to stick with it and now I'm going to the Olympics, I'm an Olympian! It is the greatest feeling in the world."

Desi, of Surrey, B.C., Canada's lone returning Olympian from Tokyo in 2021, handily dispatched his qualification round and quarterfinal opponents by a combined margin of 24-2, before taking on Ibrain Torres Espinosa in the semifinal.

Dhesi imposed his superiority once more, defeating the Cuban 11-0 and clinching his place in theupcoming Summer Games.

"It feels great to qualify for my second Games," Dhesi said.

"It may have been short, with just three years since the last Olympics, but it still felt like a long journey to me. Now, I am glad I get to do it again. Let's go get an Olympic medal!"

'I have no words'

After easily disposing of Jamaica's Sierra Brown Ton via superiority win in the 62kg division, Godinez Gonzalez, of Coquitlam, B.C., then faced Brazil's Lais Nunes in a rematch from the a previous week, which the Canadian won in the semifinal.

Down 3-0, Godinez Gonzalez scored a trio of points from a push out, caution and passivity to even the score and lead on criteria. She would keep the advantage for the win, earning her place in Paris.

"Honestly, I have no words, I am really happy, but it is a feeling I can't explain, I have never felt this accomplished," said Godinez Gonzalez. "It [the final match] was stressful, I just made sure I was focused and was able to pull through."

Di Stasio finally an Olympian

Di Stasio, of Burnaby, B.C., secured the third Olympic spot for Canada. A world, Pan Am, and Commonwealth champion, Di Stasio can now add Olympian to her resume.

Coming into the qualifier as the top seed in the 76kg division, she dominated Honduras' Saidy Chavez Figueroa by fall. She then secured her Olympic spot with an 8-4 win against Argentina's Linda Machuca in the semifinal. 

"This feels amazing," said Di Stasio. "I have been working at this for so long and wanted to be in this position for so long. I said to myself I would do any thing to win today and throughout training I said I would do anything to get to the Olympics.

"So it feels really good to be going in the right direction."