A Tri-Cities athlete is bringing a medal back to the region from the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Coquitlam's Ana Godinez Gonzalez earned the silver medal this morning (Aug. 5) in the 62 kg category in women's freestyle wrestling on the Birmingham, England mat.
The 22-year-old won her first two matches to reach the final bout, but, despite a 404 tie, lost to India's Sakshi Malik in a victory by fall-against decision (VFA).
This was Godinez Gonzalez's first-ever appearance at a major international event.
However, she's currently the reigning world champion in her division after winning gold at the 2021 United World Wrestling Under-23 Championships.
Godinez Gonzalez, currently ranked 11th in the world in the 62 kg women's weight class, won her first two matches en route to the Commonwealth Games gold-medal match.
She defeated Scotland's Abbie Fountain 10-0 (victory by superiority, VSU) in the quarter-final and followed up with a 10-4 rout (victory by points, VPO1) over Nigeria's Esther Omolayo Kolawole.
The Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club member adds the hardware to her already impressive résumé, which recently included a gold medal at the Senior Pan-American Championships.
Godinez Gonzalez won her competition in the Canadian Wrestling Trials to receive a ticket to the Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile, Coquitlam's Darthe Capellan will begin his quest for a potential medal this weekend in the 57 kg quarter-finals of men's freestyle wrestling.
His opponent will be determined following the results of the knockout stage early tomorrow morning (Aug. 6).
In the stadium, Port Coquitlam's Kaila Butler will be in the finals of women's hammer throw also set for Saturday.
She finished sixth in the qualifying round after heaving the hammer 63.34 m — the longest throw of her three attempts.
The 24-year-old's personal best is 69.35 m, which was set while competing for Bowling Green University's NCAA Div. I squad at the 2022 Len Paddock Invitational in Michigan.
