Justina Di Stasio and Nishan Randhawa both won gold medals to lead a Canadian wrestling medal haul Saturday at the Commonwealth Games.
Canada also struck gold at the track where Camryn Rogers of Richmond, B.C., won women鈥檚 hammer throw.
All six wrestlers competing Saturday at Conventry Arena stepped onto the podium.
Di Stasio, a 29-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., beat Nigeria鈥檚 Hannah Amuchechi Rueben 4-2 in the final with a four-point takedown to win the women鈥檚 76-kilogram division
鈥淪he was very strong, but when I pulled her down the first two times, I could feel her pulling up,鈥� Di Stasio explained. 鈥淪he was strong enough to pull up, so I let her, so I could sneak in.
鈥淏ut I had to be patient because if I missed, I knew she鈥檇 know it was coming.鈥�
Di Stasio won a world title in the 72-kg division in 2018 in Budapest, Hungary, as well as Pan American Games silver in Toronto in 2015.
鈥淲e had a game plan,鈥� the Canadian said Saturday. 鈥淪ometimes I abandon the game plan but in that match, I heard my coach saying something and I listened to it and I was able to do it, so that was very good.鈥�
Randhawa of Abbotsford, B.C., outscored South Africa鈥檚 Nicolaas de Lange 6-1 in the back half of their final match for a decisive 9-3 victory.
鈥淎s the match went on, I think I picked up the pace a little bit,鈥� sai the 24-year-old Randhawa. 鈥淔eels amazing. It鈥檚 been a long road and had a couple injuries along the way.
鈥淲e鈥檙e ending off strong. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going into the senior world championship in Serbia.鈥�
Madison Parks of Brantford, Ont., and Fredericton鈥檚 Samantha Stewart claimed silver in the women鈥檚 50- and 53-kg weight classes respectively.
Darthe Capellan of Surrey, B.C., and Jasmit Phulka of Abbotsford, B.C., took bronze medals in the men鈥檚 57- and 74-kg divisions.
The 2002 Commonwealth Games conclude Monday in Birmingham, England.
At the track, Rogers was the only woman to throw over 70 metres with a winning toss of 74.08. Canadian teammate Jillian Weir of Kingston, Ont., took bronze.
Ethan Katzberg of Nanaimo, B.C., posted a career-best 76.36 metres for a silver medal in men鈥檚 hammer throw.
The rhythmic gymnastics team wrapped their competition with four medals Saturday. Carmel Kallemaa led the the way with silver in clubs and bronze in both hoop and ribbon.
The 24-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., compiled four medals in Birmingham, including gold in the team event.
鈥淚t was just my dream to make it to this competition,鈥� Kallemaa said.
鈥淎t first I didn鈥檛 even dream about finals. I was just thinking I wanted to make it there. I made it there and was hoping to at least make one final.
鈥淭o make three finals and one medal in each event, it鈥檚 just unbelievable. It鈥檚 one of the best days of my life so far for sure.鈥�
Her Montreal teammate Suzanna Shahbazian, also a team gold winner, collected a silver medal in the ball final.
A day after winning the women鈥檚 one-metre springboard, diver Mia Vall茅e of Kirkland, Que., added to her medal tally with bronze in synchronized springboard with Saskatoon鈥檚 Margo Erlam.
Vall茅e, a silver medallist in three-metre springboard in this year鈥檚 world championship in Budapest, competes in that event Sunday.
鈥� The Canadian Press
