Last Chance Olympic Qualifier WFS Preview - Canadian WFS Highlights

Photo by Tony Rotundo

The Last Chance Olympic Qualifier is set to take place tomorrow (May 10th) in Istanbul, Turkey. The event will start at 10am, which is 3am EST. Viewers can watch on Flowrestling or UWW+!!

This qualifier is different from previous cycles since the top 3 at each weight will make it to the Olympics instead of the usual two semi final winner. This means that losers of the semi finals winners will battle back in the repechage until a 3rd place winner is crowned the next morning.

Friday morning @ 3AM EST - Opening rounds

Friday morning @ 11AM EST - Olympic qualifying semifinals

Saturday morning @ 3AM EST - Repechage

Saturday morning @ 9:45AM EST - Repechage bronze medals

Saturday afternoon @ 1:30PM EST - Olympic qualifying bronze medal matches!!!

Here are some quick stats:

50kg - 24 wrestlers

53kg- 27 wrestlers

57kg- 24 wrestlers

62kg- 20 wrestlers

68kg- 22 wrestlers

76kg- 20 wrestlers

Team USA:

USA has qualified every weight for the Olympics in WFS!!! Now it is time to see the final wrestlers added to their weight in Paris!

Team Canada:

Canada qualified 3/6 weights so far at the PanAm qualifier (Hannah Taylor - 57kg, Ana Godinez - 62kg and Justina Distasio - 76kg).

Genevieve Morrison at 50kg, Karla Godinez at 53kg and Linda Morris at 68kg are the three unqualified women competing this weekend in Turkey

Genevieve Morrison (50kg) - wrestling her first international tournament in 9 years at the PanAm qualifier, Gen in someone to look out for in the 50kg bracket. The 2015 world bronze medalist lost the 2016 Canadian Olympic trials, missing her chance at the olympics. 9 years and 3 children later, she came out of retirement, winning to 2023 Canada Nationals in March and the 2024 Olympic Trial in December.

Karla Godinez (53kg) - world bronze medalist, Karla Godinez is hoping to qualify for her first olympics along with her already qualified sister Ana Godinez this weekend. The Godinez family immigrated to Canada when they were children and their story is incredible. Karla qualifying this weekend would be the perfect ending!

Linda Morris (68kg) - 2018 world champion and 2023 world bronze medalist Linda Morris did not qualify for the 2020 olympics at 57kg, but she is now at 68kg and looking the get another shot at an Olympic games!

Bracket Previews:

Here are some studs in each weight to look out for!

50kg

-Maria Stadnik of Azerbaijan (multiple world and olympic medalist who suffered an unfortunate fall at the euro qualifiers)

-Anna Lukasiak of Poland (2022 World Bronze)

-Mercy Genesis of Nigeria (2022 Commonwealth Gold Medalist)

53kg

-Stalvira Orsos of Hungary (3x European Champ) -Maria Prevolaraki of Greece (3x World Bronze) -Jowita Wrzesien of Poland (World Bronze @ 59kg)

57kg

-Alina Akobiia of Ukraine (U23 World Champ & World Bronze Medallist)

-In Sun Jong of North Korea (Asian Games Silver Medallist)

-Evelina Nikolova of Bulgaria (2020 Olympic Bronze)

62kg

-Nesrin Bas of Turkey (2x U23 World Champ at 68kg) -Jia Long of China (World Silver Medallist)

-Anastasia Grigorjeva of Latvia (5th at Tokyo Olympics & World Bronze Medallist)

68kg

-Feng Zhou of China (2x World Medallist) -Elis Manolova of Azerbaijan (World Bronze Medalist & 2020 Olympian)

-Linda Morrais of Canada (2018 World Champion and 2023 World Bronze Medalist)

76kg

-Epp Maee of Estonia (3x World Medallist) - Martina Kuenz of Austria (World Bronze Medallist)

-Samar Hamza of Egypt (2x World Medallist)

Written by Olivia Lichti and Natalie Vecchio