#NFRoundup

NF Roundup Blog, Dec. 28-Jan. 1

Monday, December 28, 2020 - 15:30 By United World Wrestling Press

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Kaori Icho Featured on Inside the Games

This week, Inside the Games published a story about the greatness of four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN). The writer of the story, Dan Palmer, makes the case for Icho being the greatest Olympian of all time. 

Palmer argues that Olympic greats in multi-event sports should not be the only Olympic athletes considered in the greatest of all time debate. 

"My argument is we should not always think of swimming and other Olympic sports with several events, such as athletics, gymnastics and cycling, when it comes to debating who is the greatest of all time," wrote Palmer.

"The Japanese wrestler is, by my reckoning, the only Olympic athlete to have won four gold medals in an individual discipline where she had absolutely no margin for error at all, and no consolation prize of another event to compete in."

Read story on Inside the Games
 

#CanadaWrestling

Former world champion Di Stasio of Canada retires

Thursday, March 13, 2025 - 17:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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OTTAWA, Canada (March 13) -- After nearly 15 years of representing Canada, Justina DI STASIO (CAN) has decided to retire.

During her career, Di Stasio built an impressive resume that will go down as one of the all-time greats in Canadian wrestling history. The 32-year-old represented Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Di Stasio won gold medal at the World Championship in 2018, a Pan-American Games gold medal in 2019 and Commonwealth Games gold in 2022. In addition, she is a multiple-time Pan-Am Championships gold medalist.

While there have been many memorable moments, a few stood out to Di Stasio, including her start with the national team, her win at the 2018 worlds, being coached on the national team by two-time Olympic medalist Tonya VERBEEK (CAN), and making her first Olympics in 2024.

“Winning worlds was a special moment, especially because I could hear my parents cheering from the stands," Di Stasio said. "It reminded me of my tournaments as a kid. It also helped me frame everything in my life better. I realized it is about the journey and not the destination. It was amazing to feel the way I did on that one day, but it was only one day. I had worked so hard in the lead up, but I realized I had to enjoy those days too. I still wanted to be the best in the world and I never didn’t train like it, but from that point, I made sure to enjoy my wrestling every day.”

That love for the sport kept Di Stasio going despite setbacks that stalled her dream of competing at the Olympics. After failing to qualify for the Rio and Tokyo Games, Di Stasio qualified for Paris 2024, eventually finishing 12th.

“Making it to the Olympics came with lots of pressure, but good pressure. I had won everything else and trained every day thinking I could be an Olympic champion. Even though it was a heart-breaking result, I know I couldn’t have worked harder and that helped me accept the result. I would have loved to make it there when I was younger, but I think I needed to be more mature to handle the result.”

Read full news on Wrestling Canada Lutte website.