Manitoba wrestler trying to push recent success to next level
Owen Giancola won a gold medal in the 2022 Canada Summer Games in wrestling for his weight class. Jan. 3, 2023. (Source: Gary Robinson)
One of Manitoba's own wrestlers has risen to the top of the national wrestling world and is now looking to reach new heights.
Owen Giancola is 19 years old and recently grabbed a gold medal in wrestling at the national level.
This past summer, he competed in the 2022 Canada Summer Games and claimed gold in his weight class.
"Honestly, it felt great, it was amazing, surreal. I hadn't really wrestled at the national level before and just to go out there and win, I was proud of myself and proud of the team that brought me to that point," said Giancola in an interview with CTV News Winnipeg.
His coach knew he was a good wrestler, but said he was surprised at first to see the result.
"I expected some kind of medal but not the performance that he actually put up. It was very impressive. We are very happy, very impressed with the way he wrestled. He was unbelievable," said Kris Stasiak, Giancola's wrestling coach.
Giancola has been involved in other sports like football and rugby but always felt most drawn to wrestling.
"I was given the opportunity early into junior high school, Grade 7, and always aspired to that solo sport, it's all on you, (the) individual. It really pushed me to push myself on a personal level instead of a team level," he said.
With the gold medal under his belt, Giancola is now turning his focus to the next chapter of his wrestling career, competing with the University of Alberta Golden Bears and working to make Team Canada.
"I'm hoping to compete at Canada West and U Sports for Alberta and see how we do and afterwards, go to Canadian trials and hopefully make Team Canada for the junior team."
His coach would love for Giancola to one day join the coaching ranks in Manitoba and pass on his skills to others
"The years that the coaches put into him, he might turn around and say, 'Hey I want to give you guys something back,'" said Stasiak.
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