Two South Surrey sisters named to Team Canada are preparing to travel to Mexico with Wrestling Canada Lutte for the upcoming Pan-American Championships.
On Thursday, May 1, WCL announced the 20 athletes who, along with coaches, support staff and officials, will represent Canada at the 2025 Senior Pan-American (Pan-Am) Championships May 8-11 in Monterrey, Mexico.
Earl Marriott Secondary alumni Ana and Karla Godinez Gonzalez are two of the athletes heading to the event, on a team that features many past national champions, along with numerous international medallists, a WCL release noted.
Ana represented Canada at the Paris Games last summer, where she barely missed the podium, finishing fifth. She is a former U23 world champion and two-time gold medallist at the Senior Pan-Ams. She will compete in the 62-kilogram weight class, while her sister, Karla, will compete in the 55-kg category. Both sisters compete on the international stage often and train at Bunaby Mountain Wrestling Club.
"WCL is excited to witness both our national women's and men's team compete in Mexico at the Senior Pan-Am Championships. The Pan-Am region has been consistently improving on the international stage, capturing 33 per cent of the women's and 17 per cent of the men's Olympic medals in Paris,” said Chris Woodcroft, WCL high performance director, in the release.
“These international opportunities are a fantastic measuring stick as we head towards the Canadian Wrestling Championships (senior, junior and cadet), May 29-31, in Edmonton. In addition, it is a great opportunity for athletes to gain experience as we head to the summer's international schedule, with many of our athletes hoping to represent Canada and compete at the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia in September.”
