Amar Dhesi was awarded a junior world championship gold medal after defending freestyle champion Geno Petriashvili of Georgia was disqualified following a failed drug test.
Dhesi, who lost to Petriashvili in the junior world final in Zagreb, Crotia in August, was recently awarded the gold medal.
The Burnaby Central high school grad and pre-season All-American at Oregon State University becomes one of just a few Canadian wrestlers to have been named a world champion.
Gia Sissaouri was the last Canadian male to win a senior world championship title in men’s freestyle in 2001. Alfred Wurr won the espoir world championships men’s freestyle title in 1989.
“This news results in Canada winning its first male junior world wrestling in 25 years,” said Wrestling Canada Lutte executive director Tamara Medwidsky in a press release. “Wrestling Canada Lutte celebrates this news and congratulates Amar and his coaches for their hard work and preparation.”
Dhesi had won three consecutive matches leading up to the world championship final, including a come-from-behind 7-6 decision in the final minute against American rival Adam Coon of Michigan in the semifinal.
The world championship title follows Dhesi’s gold-medal performance at the 2014 Junior Pan Am championship in Toronto in June.
The good news comes following a knee injury to Dhesi in an exhibition match with Tyrell Fortune last month that will force the Canadian to sit out his sophomore season as a redshirt.
