Stittsville wrestler Erica Wiebe became Ottawa’s first summer Olympic champion since Glenroy Gilbert’s 4×100 m relay title at the Atlanta 1996 Games on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.
The 27-year-old National Capital Wrestling Club alum controlled each of her four matches en route to the gold medal, recording victories over opponents from Germany, China, Belarus and Kazakhstan in the women’s 75 kg class.
“I’ve never had this much fun wrestling,” Wiebe said in an interview with CBC. “I love this sport and I never thought I’d be an Olympic champion, but today I had my best day and it’s amazing.”
Watch Erica Wiebe’s gold medal match starting at the 2:35:00 mark at: http://olympics.cbc.ca/video/vod/wrestling-aug-women-repechages-and-medal-matches.html
Read about Erica’s journey to Rio:
Erica Wiebe’s first Canadian senior championship: http://sportsottawa.com/content/wiebe%E2%80%99s-sr-gold-leads-capital%E2%80%99s-trio-national-champs
Turning the wrestling world on its head – Wiebe’s Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medal: http://sportsottawa.com/content/turning-wrestling-world-its-head
Disappointing 2014 wrestling worlds: http://sportsottawa.com/content/wiebe-wins-1-loses-1-disappointing-wrestling-worlds
Wiebe’s Road to Redemption (and Rio) after nationals defeat that kept her out of Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games: http://sportsottawa.com/content/ottawa-sportspage-cover-story-wrestling-redemption-and-rio
Wiebe’s Canadian Olympic trials triumph: http://sportsottawa.com/content/redemption-wiebe-defeats-closest-rival-win-canadian-olympic-trials
Childhood dream comes true as Wiebe secures her Olympic berth: http://sportsottawa.com/content/childhood-dream-come-true-wrestler-wiebe-olympics-bound
Ottawa at the Olympics profile on wrestler Erica Wiebe: http://sportsottawa.com/content/ottawa-olympics-profile-%E2%80%93-erica-wiebe-wrestling
Look for more detailed coverage in next month’s Ottawa Sportspage.